At the first day of the North Athletic Conference baseball championship tournament at Castleton, Vermont one team from Maine is going home while two others survived to play in day two.
In the first game of the day the top seed and host team Castleton took care of business defeating Thomas College 5-3. The Spartans got a pair of runs batted in by Dan Errico and a pair of hits by Mitchell Caron and Dillon Benham. Sam Spencer pitched eight strong innings allowing just two earned runs and struck out seven. Derek Kane had two hits while Nik Beeson and Zach Mathieu had runs batted in for Thomas while Matt Rutherford allowed five runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
In the second game the UMaine-Farmington Beavers held a late 5-1 lead over Husson into the eighth inning until the Eagles rallied and took a 6-5 win in 10 innings. Alex Chapman hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth for Husson to tie the game at 5-5 before Dan Whitney scored on a squeeze bunt by Cam Archer in the 10th to provide the winning run. Husson also got two hits and an RBI from Zach Sugar and Robert Graff picked up the win in relief with two scoreless innings. Ben Keene had three hits and an RBI while Tom Grady had two hits and an RBI and Sean Cabaniss also chipped in with two hits for the Beavers. Nate Pushard was charged in the loss allowing the winning run in the 0.1 innings of work.
In the final game of the day Friday the Thomas College Terriers eliminated UMF 8-4. Beeson and Max Salevsky each had two runs batted in for the Terriers. Dominic Esposito picked up the win in relief of starter Derek Kane who only threw two innings. Esposito gave up two earned runs in seven innings to help Thomas advance to a losers bracket game Saturday. Jimmy Neal had three hits and an RBI to lead the Beavers who ends their season with an overall record of 23-15. Riley Chickering took the loss on the hill allowing six earned runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
Saturday will open with the top seed Spartans of Castleton facing Husson at 1:30 p.m. with the loser facing Thomas College at 4:30 p.m. in an elimination game.
