Harwich, MA --- Southern Maine sophomore Andrew Richards (S. Portland, ME) spun a five-hit shutout with one strikeout to help propel the top-seeded Huskies to a 7-0 victory over #4 Western New England University on the fourth day of the NCAA Division III New England Baseball Regional at Whitehouse Field.
With the triumph, Southern Maine (40-8) advances to the championship round to take on third-seeded Endicott at 4 PM today. The Huskies, who set the program record for wins in a season, move to their 12th NCAA Regional Championship since 1987 and will try to earn their seventh berth to the College World Series.
The squad will also try to duplicate the efforts of the 2001 team that won three straight games and the regional championship after losing once in the double-elimination tournament. USM was defeated yesterday by Endicott, 5-3, in the winners bracket.
Western New England, making their tenth NCAA Tournament appearance, sees their 2013 campaign come to a close at 34-13.
The Huskies started off the scoring with a five-run first frame to knock out Golden Bear starter junior Brendan Nugent (Milford, CT) from the contest.
Junior Forrest Chadwick (Gardiner, ME) keyed the frame with a two-run double and senior Anthony Pisani (Cheshire, CT) followed with a pair of RBI's on a single to right field.
In the top of the second, Western New England senior reliever Jeff Richardson (Simsbury, CT) came in and helped keep Southern Maine scoreless for the next four frames, but he gave up a two-run homer to freshman Sam Dexter (Oakland, ME) in the top of the sixth.
The home run blast for Dexter was his third of the season and the 26th extra-base knock. He drove in sophomore Jake Glauser (Goffstown, NH), who drew a one-out walk.
But the Golden Bears had a tough time trying to figure out Richards who completed his first start, complete game and shutout of the season on 92 pitches – 62 for strikes.
It marked the third appearance of the tournament for Richards as he earned the win with four scoreless frames in their 6-5 victory over Western New England on Thursday and he was dealt the loss against the Gulls yesterday in relief.
Richards (8-2) was helped out by double plays in the second and fourth frames and after yielding a single to right in the bottom of the fifth, he set down 13 consecutive batters in the ninth. Western New England also left five on base and three in scoring position.
Nugent (8-2), who only pitched in the first inning, was dealt the loss for Western New England.
After coming into the contest in the top of the sixth with one out and a pair in scoring position, Jefferis tossed three 2/3 frames of effective relief to close out the game for the Golden Bears. Jefferis rung up six on strikeouts.
Chadwick, Pisani and senior John Carey (S. Portland, ME) all finished with three base knocks apiece to help pace a 13-hit attack for the Huskies.
Senior Mike Rubino (Northford, CT) was the lone multi-hitter for Western New England with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish as he wraps up his career with 281 base-knocks - seventh all-time in NCAA Division III history.