WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The 8th-ranked University of Southern Maine baseball team hammered out 18 hits en route to a 12-5 non-conference win over The College of New Jersey Saturday afternoon at Chain O' Lake Field.
The victory improved the Huskies' overall record to 5-1. The game was the season opener for the Lions. The Lions had their first six games postponed prior to Saturday.
Junior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) paced the Huskies' attack with the first four-hit game of his collegiate career. Sophomore Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) and senior Brendon Joyce (Standish, Maine/Gorham) had three hits apiece, and rookie Anthony Capuano (Bangor, Maine) and sophomore Damon Wallace (Gorham, Maine) each had two hits.
Senior right-hander Andrew Richards (South Portland, Maine) picked up his second win of the season, and the 20th of his career, pitching 4.2 shutout innings in relief of junior starter Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.). Richards gave up three hits and one walk while striking out two.
Senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, N.J.) and sophomore Ben Varone (Marlton, N.J.) each had two hits for the Lions. Senior right-hander Connor Smith (West Caldwell, N.H.), who started on the hill and worked into the seventh inning, took the loss.
The Huskies grabbed the lead in their first turn at bat as McDonough stroked the first of his two doubles, moved to third on a lineout to center field, and scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee).
USM took advantage of two TCNJ errors in the second inning to tack up four more runs. Wallace had an RBI double to bring home the first run, and Joyce had a sacrifice fly to plate the final run.
Capuano's two-run single in the fourth inning increased the Huskies' lead to 7-0.
Leavitt, making his first start of the season, got out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning with a call third strike for the third out. He cruised through the second inning before getting into a mini-jam in the third. With one out and runners at first and second, Leavitt got consecutive ground ball outs to escape the frame. He retired the side in order in the fourth.
The Huskies defense let Leavitt down in the fifth making errors on consecutive plays that led to five unearned runs. Junior Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, N.J.) had a two-run single in the middle of the rally that closed the gap to 7-5 after five innings. All five runs, charged to Leavitt, were unearned.
Richards came on after Leavitt loaded the bases with a one-out walk to senior Josh Limon (Eastampton, N.J.). Richards got the first batter on a fly ball that delivered a run, then surrendered an RBI single to rookie Zach Shindler (Wantagh, N.Y.) before getting the final out.
With Richards holding the Lions at bay by getting the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings, the Huskies added a single unearned run in the seventh, three more in the eighth and a single run in the ninth for the 12-5 final.
Southern Maine is back in action on Sunday (1:30 p.m.) taking on 10th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla. TCNJ will play a doubleheader tomorrow against St. Norbert College.
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