PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Colin Gauthier threw 5.2 innings of scoreless relief and Lucas McElroy and Cal Parrillo each had a critical RBI in the bottom of the seventh to lead the top-seed Rhode Island College Anchormen to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the third seed University of Southern Maine Huskies in seventh game of the 2023 Little East Conference Baseball Championship Tournament hosted by Rhode Island College at Pontarelli Field. The loss concludes the Huskies' 2023 season.
Southern Maine senior
Tom Vesosky (Colchester, Vermont) was 4-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored to lead a 12-hit attack for the Huskies. Seniors
Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) and
Brogan Searle-Belanger (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) each had two hits.
THE SERIES:
Today's game marked the 104
th meeting between the University of Southern Maine and Rhode Island College. The Anchormen earned the regular season sweep over the Huskies in 2023, and have won the last three consecutively. Southern Maine leads the overall series 72-32.
THE BASICS:
Records:
No. 3 Southern Maine (18-21)
No. 1 Rhode Island College (30-12)
Score: Rhode Island College 3, Southern Maine 2
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. Rhode Island College – 2023 LEC Championship, Game 7
Winning Pitcher: RIC, Colin Gauthier (3-2), 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts.
Losing Pitcher: SM,
Owen Sullivan (1-3), 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs, 1 walks, 0 strikeouts
Save: None
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Rhode Island College
- After a scoreless first two innings, Southern Maine jumped ahead of RIC with a run in the top of the first. Vesosky collected the second of his four hits in the game leading off with a single through the left side and moved to third on a single up the middle from freshman Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine). Komulainen singled to left for an RBI to bring home Vesosky for the 1-0 lead.
- Husky starter sophomore Gavin Rawstrom (Sabattus, Maine/Oak Hill) worked his way around a lead off single in the bottom of the third, and Southern Maine tacked on one more in the fourth to go ahead 2-0.
- In the fourth, senior Jonathan Wilson (East Granby, Conn.) reached on a fielding error and then stole second. Advancing another base on a single from freshman Chris Quigley (Halifax, Mass./Silver Lake Regional), Wilson came home on an RBI double down the left field line from Vesosky for his third hit of the day.
- RIC cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth, leading off with a walk and then connecting on four consecutive singles, including an RBI single to left from Cameron Santerre. However, the Huskies were able to escape from any more damage as sophomore Anthony Poole (South Portland, Maine) made a solid catch in the center field for the third out with the bases load.
- Vesosky reached in the sixth with a two-out single, and Komulainen and Searle-Belanger each reached in the seventh with a single and a walk respectively, but the Huskies were unable to generate any runs.
- In the bottom of the seventh, RIC took the lead from Southern Maine combining for two runs on two hits and a pair of walks. David Iannuccilli, Santerre and Daniel Trzepacz loaded the bases on a single and back-to-back walks before McElroy pushed across the game-tying run with an RBI fielder's choice. With one out, Parrillo singled to left to give the Anchormen their first lead, 3-2. USM got the final two outs to keep it a one run game.
- In the top of the eight, Poole led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but was left stranded, and in the top of the ninth, the Huskies went down in order for the 3-2 final.
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 – Castleton, 3-2
Game 5: No. 1 Rhode Island College vs. No. 4 UMass Boston – UMass Boston, 9-3
Game 6: No. 2 Eastern Connecticut vs. No. 3 Southern Maine – ECSU, 4-2
UMass Dartmouth is eliminated
If five teams remain after Game 6, the following procedure will be observed:
Friday, May 12, 2023
Game 7: No. 1 Rhode Island College vs. No. 3 Southern Maine – RIC, 3-2
Game 6 Game 8: No. 6 Castleton vs. No. 4 UMass Boston - 11:30 a.m.
Game 5 Game 9: No. 2 Eastern Connecticut vs. No. 1 Rhode Island College - 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-
