PROVIDENCE, RI – Senior
Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) drove in five runs and the third seed University of Southern Maine Huskies pounded out 13 hits to defeat fourth-seed UMass Boston 14-4 (7 innings) in their first game of the 2023 Little East Conference Baseball Championship Tournament hosted by Rhode Island College at Pontarelli Field.
With the win, the Huskies advance to day two of the tournament and will face second seed Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday (2:00 pm).
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THE SERIES:
Today's game marked the 72
nd meeting between the University of Southern Maine and the UMass Boston Beacons. The Huskies swept the Beacons (2-0, 3-1) in the regular season and lead the series 51-21.
THE BASICS:
Records:
No. 4 UMass Boston (22-17)
No. 3 Southern Maine (18-19)
Score: Southern Maine 14, UMass Boston 4 (7 innings)
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. UMass Boston – 2023 LEC Championship, Game 3
Winning Pitcher: SM,
Bryce Afthim (5-3), 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: UMB, Dillon Ryan (4-4), 3.0 IP, 11 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Save: None
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UMass Boston
- Trailing 2-1 after the top of the third, Southern Maine scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good, 5-2, and roll to the 14-4 victory over the Beacons.
- Huskies' senior Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) tied the game up at 2-2 with an RBI single to left. Junior Cam Seymour (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) made it 4-2 with a two-run double to the wall in center field. Seymour came around to score making it 5-2 on a Beacons' fielding error.
- UMB took one back in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Luke Leavitt, but the Huskies exploded for six runs in the home half of the fourth to break open the game to lead 11-3.
- The Huskies banged out six hits in the fourth, including three for extra bases. Freshman Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine/Cony) led off the inning with a single, and Komulainen reached safely after he was hit by a pitch. Seymour started the scoring explosion with an RBI single, and senior Arlo Pike (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) hit the first of three extra base hits in a row for the Huskies with an RBI double to the gap in right. Searle-Belanger knocked in two more runs with a double down the right field line, before senior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) make it 11-3 with a two-run home run to left field.
- The Beacons made it 11-4 in the top of the fifth with a two-out solo home run from Drew Metzdorf, but Searle-Belanger stayed hot in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run for the 14-4 final.
INSIDE THE STATS
- Douin, Searle-Belanger and Wilson each had home runs for the Huskies as USM had seven extra base hits among their 13 total in the game.
- Seymour, Pike, Searle-Belanger and sophomore Anthony Poole (South Portland, Maine) each had doubles.
- Four players were repeat hitters for the Huskies, led by a 3-for-5 effort from Douin. Douin finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, and an RBI. Komulainen, Seymour and Searle-Belagner had two hits each.
2023 Little East Conference Tournament Seeds:
- Rhode Island College 28-11 (15-1 LEC)
- Eastern Connecticut 30-8 (12-4 LEC)
- Southern Maine 17-19 (12-4 LEC)
- UMass Boston 22-16 (10-6 LEC
- UMass Dartmouth 19-16 (8-8 LEC)
- Castleton 17-20 (6-10 LEC)
2023 LEC Championship Format
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Game 1: No. 1 Rhode Island College vs. No. 6 Castleton – RIC, 10-0 (7 inn)
Game 2: No. 2 Eastern Connecticut vs. No. 5 UMass Dartmouth – ECSU, 10-3
Game 3: No. 3 Southern Maine vs. No. 4 UMass Boston – USM, 14-4 (7 inn)
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Game 4: No. 6 Castleton vs. No. 5 UMass Dartmouth - 9:00 a.m.
Game 5: No. 1 Rhode Island College vs. No. 4 UMass Boston - 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Eastern Connecticut vs. No. 3 Southern Maine - 2:00 p.m.
If four teams remain after Game 6, the following procedure will be observed:
Friday, May 12, 2023
Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 - 9:00 a.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 6 - 11:30 a.m.
Game 9: Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 - 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9 - 12:00 p.m.
Game 11: If Necessary: Same teams as in Game 10 - 3:00 p.m.
If five teams remain after Game 6, the following procedure will be observed:
Friday, May 12, 2023
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser - 9:00 a.m.
Game 6 Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner - 11:30 a.m.
Game 5 Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7 - 2:00 p.m.
If two teams remain after Game 9, the following procedure will be observed:
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 - 12:00 p.m.
Game 11: If Necessary: Same teams as Game 10 - 3:00 p.m.
If three teams remain after Game 9, the following procedure will be observed:
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 9 - 12:00 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 - 3:00 p.m.
-cac-
