Salem, Mass. – Salem State erupted for six runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game and cruise to an 11-6 victory over the Southern Maine Huskies at the Central Campus Baseball Field on Thursday afternoon. The Vikings go to 9-5 on the year while the Huskies fall to 9-6.
Kevin Carens (Northborough, MA) led the Vikings with five hits and four runs scored. Richard Fecteau (Newbury, MA) also had a big day at the plate for Salem State. The junior went 4-for-5 and his RBI double off the wall in right highlighted Salem State's big sixth inning.
Southern Maine struck first as they were the designated home team in a game that was moved to Salem State. A double by Paul McDonough (Wells, ME) and a triple by Nick DiBiase (Portland, ME), got the Huskies got on the board and Sam Dexter (Kennebunk, ME) added an RBI double to give his team an early 3-0 lead.
In the third inning the Vikings struck back when Fecteau hit an RBI double to get his team on the board. In the fifth, Salem State's Andrew DeLoury (Andover, MA) smashed a double and then came home to tighten the gap to 3-2. Fecteau then tied the game when his pop-up found safe landing in shallow left that scored Carens.
However, Brendon Joyce (Standish, ME) hit a sac-fly to bring a run home for the Huskies in the bottom of the fifth as they retook the lead 4-3. In the bottom of the sixth, the Vikings' Teghan Malionek (Salem, MA) gave Salem State the lead back with a two-run single to make it a 5-4 game. Malionek would eventually cross home plate, and two more Vikings would score on balks to give the Vikings a five-run advantage.
Vikings' starter Will Twiss (Masconomet, MA) left the game after five innings, He allowed four runs on 10 hits, and had two strikeouts to pick up the win. Twiss was replaced byRafael Tylus (Danvers, MA) who gave up an RBI single to DiBiase, and was consequently replaced by Pete Gonski (East Lyme, CT).
Southern Maine starter Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, MA) pitched five innings and left in the top of the sixth without recording an out. He gave up five runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts.
Chase Orva (Sagamore Beach, MA) replaced Ryan Browner (Georgetown, MA) who left having pitched two and a third innings, giving up four runs on three hits, and threw a wild pitch allowing Carens (Northborough, MA) to score after he hit a triple in the eighth.
Nick Bowie (South Paris, ME) would make it a 11-6 game when he scored on a passed ball.
Salem State reliever Gonski earned the save, pitching a solid three and two third innings and allowing just a run on three hits with two strikeouts.
DiBiase and Dexter each finished with three hits for Southern Maine.
The Vikings play a doubleheader at 1:00 PM tomorrow at home against conference rival Bridgewater State. The Huskies host Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday for their own double-header beginning at 12:00 PM.