STANDISH, Maine – Luke Doughty hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in the game-winning run as the Saint Joseph's College (Maine) Monks defeated the No. 28 University of Southern Maine Huskies 8-7 in 11 innings in a non-conference basketball game Wednesday afternoon at Larry Mahaney Diamond.
With the win, the Monks are earning their first win over the Huskies since the 2021 season. Southern Maine had won the previous four games consecutively, including a 9-8 win in Gorham in 2025. The loss snaps a
Records:
Saint Joseph's College (28-10) 211 012 000 00 7-12-2
Southern Maine (22-7) 400 003 000 01 8-11-1
Pitching Records:
WP: SJC, Joey Tavares (1-0), 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 Ks
LP: SM,
Sam Calder (1-1), 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 Ks
How It Happened:
- Taking a 2-0 lead on an RBI double from senior Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine) and an RBI single from sophomore Caleb Vacchiano (Cornish, Maine) early, Southern Maine found itself trailing the Monks 4-2 after the bottom of the first. SJC scored four runs, all unearned, on a pair of hits, including a two-run go-ahead home run from Michael Richards as USM committing a pair of errors in the inning.
- Southern Maine battled for a run in the second on an RBI fielder's choice from senior Chris Quigley (Halifax, Mass.). Quigley drove in freshman Kaiden Morin (Brewer, Maine) who led off the inning with a double and moved to right on a single from senior Hunter Brissette (Lisbon, Maine).
- USM tied the game up in the top of the third. After a lead-off walk was earned from Vacchiano, a single up the middle from junior Mike Anquillare (North Haven, Conn.) put him in scoring position before an error on a ball put into play from Morin made it a 4-4 game.
- The score stayed the same until the top of the fifth when Vacchiano led off the inning with a solo home run. Vacchiano's fourth home run of the season gave Southern Maine a 5-4 lead.
- The Huskies added two more runs in the top of the sixth to increase its lead to 7-4. Quigley started the inning with a lead-off double and then scored on an RBI single from Douin. Junior Peter Keblinsky (Ellsworth, Maine) brought home the second run of the inning with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
- USM's lead was short-lived however as the Monks tied it up in the bottom of the inning. After Nik Frink singled to left to start the inning, Southern Maine got the next two outs before Theo Masella made it two Monks on the bases with a single through the right side. SJC tied the game up on the next hitter as Nick Villano connected on a three-run shot to left field for a 7-7 score.
- After the sixth, both teams were scoreless over the next three innings, and neither the Huskies nor Monks advanced a runner past second base over that stretch.
- Brissette drew a lead-off walk to start the tenth and advance to third, but Southern Maine was unable to convert, while SJC went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
- In the 11th, junior Carter Higgins (Truro, Nova Scotia) connected on a one-out single through the left side, but was left stranded sending the game to the bottom of the inning. Masella and Villano started the Monks off with back-to-back singles before Ryan Kastle worked a six-pitch walk to load the bases, setting up Doughty for the RBI sacrifice fly.
Up Next:
Southern Maine returns to Little East Conference play on Saturday, hosting VTSU-Castleton in a doubleheader beginning at 12 pm. The Huskies then head to Bates College on Sunday (1:00 pm).
-cac-
