Baseball Loses Two at Southern Maine
Gorham, Maine -- Senior Sam Dexter(Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) had a pair of four-hit games Sunday afternoon as the University of Southern Maine Huskies swept the visiting Framingham State University Rams by scores of 12-8 and 15-5 (8 innings) in a non-conference baseball doubleheader on Senior Day at the USM Baseball Stadium.
The two wins give the Huskies a three-game winning streak heading into the final week of the regular season, and improved their overall record to 25-11. The Rams fall to 10-28 on the season.
Dexter was 4 for 5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI in the opener, then came back in the second game to go 4 for 6 with a single-game record-tying three doubles, three runs scored and two RBI. Dexter also recorded the 300th hit of his collegiate career with his third inning double to left-center field.
Game One
The Huskies needed a five-run rally in the seventh inning to overcome an 8-6 deficit and went on to take the opener. Freshman left-handed pitcher Matt Correale (Peabody, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate victory hurling three hitless innings in relief.
With the game tied at 6-6, senior Ryan Connelly (West Roxbury, Mass./Boston Latin) led of the FSU seventh with a double down the left field line, and senior Jon Chapman (Waltham, Mass.) reached on an infield error leaving runners at first and second. Junior Ryan Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.) drove in Connelly with a single through the right side. Junior Manny Powers (Malden, Mass./Malden Catholic) followed with an infield single to load the bases and bring Correale into the game.
Correale struck out the first two batters he faced, but a passed ball on the second strikeout allowed Chapman to score from third. Correale got the third out on a ground ball.
Dexter ignited the Huskies' rally in the home half with a one-out double to left field. The next five Husky hitters all walked to force home three runs. Rookie Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) greeted freshman reliever Blake Waters (East Sandwich, Mass./St. John Paul II) for a first-pitch two-run single that made it 11-8. Waters got a lineout double play to get out the inning.
Sophomores Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y.) and Sam Stauble (Harrison, Maine/Bridgton Academy) had two hits apiece for the Huskies.
Powers lead the Rams offense with three hits. Connelly had a double and a single and scored two runs. Sophomore Chris Riga(Westfield, Mass.), the third of five FSU hurlers, took the loss.
Game Two
In the nightcap, the Huskies scored three times in the first, and added six more in the third to build an early 9-0 lead. Sam Dexter had an RBI double and scored in both innings. Sophomore Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) had an RBI single in both innings. The Rams had a catcher's interference call and made a costly error in the third inning that resulted in four of the six runs being unearned.
USM made it 10-0 in the fourth on sophomore Cameron Hauze's (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet) first career base hit, a single up the middle that scored sophomore Tom Budrewicz(Boxford, Mass./Masconomet Regional).
Framingham State could do nothing with USM rookie southpaw starter Ryan Gaydou(Dartmouth, Mass.) through the first four innings. Gaydou allowed only one base runner on an infield error and struck out five in his stint, but only got a no decision.
The Rams batted around in the fifth inning against freshman reliever Tanner Laberge(Windham, Maine) to score four times, highlighted by a Powers three-run homer to left-center.
Sam Dexter, Stauble and junior Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) opened the Huskies half of the frame with consecutive doubles to get two runs back. McDonough moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.). Budrewicz scored the fourth run when he walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored on when Hauze's infield single was thrown away for an error.
Framingham State got one run in the seventh on an RBI single by rookie Anthony Venuti (Braintree, Mass.). Southern Maine ended the game in the eighth on the 10-run rule when sophomore Jack Sylvia's [Glastonbury, Conn./Dartmouth (Mass.)] ground ball was misplayed allowing sophomore Nick Volger(Portland, Maine) to score from second base.
McDonough finished the game with three hits, including a double. Senior Nick DiBiase(Portland, Maine/Deering), Stauble, Bowie and Hauze had two hits apiece. Senior Ryan Browner(Georgetown, Mass.) was credited with the victory in relief.
Powers provided the bulk of the Rams offense with his three-run blast. The Rams were limited to just six hits. Freshman starter Kevin Bonkowski (Westwood, N.J.) took the loss.
Up Next
Southern Maine is on the road for its next scheduled game traveling to Bowdoin College on Tuesday. Framingham State has a game scheduled for tomorrow (3:30 p.m.) at Western New England University.
*Release courtesy of USM sports information