GORHAM, Maine – Junior
Mike Anquillare (North Haven, Conn.) had a two-run single as part of a four-run bottom of the first as top-seed University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated sixth-seed VTSU-Castleton Spartans 10-6 in the opening game of the 2026 Little East Conference Baseball Championship Tournament Wednesday morning at Ed Flaherty Field.
The Huskies scored all 10 of their runs in the opening three innings of the game, and then used strong pitching performances from starter junior
Colin McDonald (Gorham, Maine) and reliever
Carson Black (Porter, Maine/Sacopee Valley). McDonald earned his ninth win of the season, holding the Spartans to three earned runs. Black earned the three-inning save, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Anquillare, senior
Kyle Douin (Augusta, Maine/Cony), junior
Evan Baschnagel (Garden City, NY) and sophomore
Caleb Vacchiano (Cornish, Maine/Sacopee Valley) each had two RBI for the Huskies. Baschnagel was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and connected on his ninth home run of the season.
Records:
No. 6 VTSU-Castleton (13-28) 003 102 000 6-9-2
No. 1 Southern Maine (27-10) 442 000 00x 10-9-3
Pitching Records:
WP: SM,
Colin McDonald (9-1), 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks
LP: C, Nick Lescarbeau (4-3), 7.1 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
SV: SM,
Carson Black (Sv, 1), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks
How It Happened:
- After a quick 1-2-3 inning from McDonald to retire the Spartan batters to open the game, Southern Maine jumped out to a 4-0 lead connecting on a trio of hits. Baschnagel led off with a single and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Vacchiano, before junior Carter Higgins (Truro, Nova Scotia) made it 2-0 with an RBI single to center. Anquillare drove in the final two runs with a single to right field.
- McDonald kept Castleton off the score board working around a two-out single and the Huskies doubled their lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the second. Douin had a two-run double to right field, while Vacchiano added another sacrifice fly RBI. Higgins scored USM's fourth run of the inning, reaching on an error before scoring on another for the 8-0 advantage.
- Castleton took advantage of two Husky errors in the top of the third, scoring three unearned runs to cut its deficit to 8-3. Trey LaVigne drew an RBI walk in the inning.
- USM led 10-3 after the bottom of the third as Baschnagel laced his ninth home run of the season over the left field fence. Baschnagel drove in Husky freshman James Main (Northstonington, Conn.) who led off the inning with a single to right field.
- VTSU-Castleton scored one in the top of the fourth on an RBI double from Justin Strozyk, and added two more following a two-run single from Jack Humback in the sixth to trail 10-6. However, Black entered in relief of McDonald to start the seventh and did not give up a run, allowing just an eighth inning lead off single. In the top of the ninth, Black made quick work of the Spartans getting back-to-back strikeouts before ending the game on a fly ball to left for the 10-6 final.
Up Next:
Southern Maine will face the loser of the No. 3 UMass Dartmouth vs. No. 4 Eastern Connecticut game on Thursday (3:00 pm) at Flaherty Field.
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