#2 Southern Maine Opens Season With Two Wins
YAPHANK, N.Y. -- The second-ranked University of Southern Maine baseball team opened its 2014 season Sunday by defeating SUNY-Old Westbury 8-2 and Western New England University 14-1 at Baseball Heaven.
In the opening game, the Huskies spotted Old Westbury a 2-0 lead in the opening inning before coming back over the next four frames to score eight times. Senior Chris Bernard (Scarborough, Maine) paced the Huskies' 10-hit attack going 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI.
Against WNEU, the Huskies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning, and put the game away with seven more runs in the seventh inning. Senior Matt Verrier (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) had four RBI and rookie Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI.
Sophomore right-hander Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) picked up the win in the opener with three innings of shutout relief. Sophomore left-hander starter Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.) earned the win in the second game hurling five innings of two-hit shutout baseball.
Game One
Senior Kevin Licul (Levittown, N.Y.) gave Old Westbury a 2-0 lead in the opening inning with a two-run homer off Bernard. Bernard allowed the first two batters to reach on a single and walk, but got a lineout double play before Licul went deep. Bernard would work four innings giving up four hits and four walks while striking out five.
The Huskies picked up one run in the second inning on a bases loaded walk to sophomore Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee). The Huskies went ahead to stay with pair of runs in the third on an RBI single by Verrier that plated Bernard who doubled. McDonough brought Verrier home with a fielder's choice.
Bernard drove in three runs in the fourth greeting Old Westbury senior reliever Frank DiMaria (Ozone Park, N.Y.) with a bases-clearing double to make it 6-3.
The Huskies scored twice in the fifth on an RBI double to right field by sophomore Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine) and an outfield error that allowed DiBiase to score from third.
McDonough and DiBiase joined Bernard as repeat hitters for the Huskies. Scates combined with sophomore Ryan Browner (Georgetown, Mass.) and junior Dylan Morris (Bangor, Maine) to give the Huskies five innings of one-hit shutout relief.
Old Westbury junior left-handed starter Christopher Vitale (Farmingdale, N.Y.) went 3.1 innings and was tagged with the loss.
Game Two
The Huskies wasted no time getting the jump on the Golden Bears tallying four runs in the first. After Leavitt struck out the side, the Huskies loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. WNEU senior right-hander Brendan Nugent (Milford, Conn.) got the second out with a strikeout, but Verrier emptied the bases with a double. Verrier would score on a single by DiBiase.
USM scored an unearned run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by senior John Carey (South Portland, Maine), and two more in the sixth on an RBI single by junior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.) and a double play.
In the seventh, the Huskies blew the game open sending 11 batters to the plate en route to scoring seven times. Carey got things going with an RBI single, and Verrier picked up his fourth RBI with a groundout. Rookie George Tsonis (Peabody, Mass.) picked up an RBI single in his first collegiate turn at bat, and McDonough followed with a two-run triple to highlight the inning.
WNEU scored its lone run in the top of the ninth when junior Steve Buckley (Monroe, Conn.) hit a two-out solo home run.
McDonough, DiBiase and senior Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass./New Hampton) each had three hits as part of the Huskies 17-hit attack.
Southern Maine heads south this week to begin a 10-game road trip in Florida. USM will open the trip playing SUNY-Cortland on Friday (4:00 p.m.) in Auburndale, Fla.
-30-