The North Atlantic Conference baseball tournament continued Saturday at Winkin Complex in Bangor, with two elimination games and a winners bracket game featuring the host and top seeded Husson Eagles.
Game 3- Thomas 6, UMaine-Farmington 3: In the first of two losers bracket games the Terriers from Thomas stayed alive by eliminating the Beavers from UMF. The difference in the game was the bottom of the eighth inning with the scored tie 3-3. Dominic Esposito hit a two run single to right field, and Adam Berger followed with an RBI single to send the Terriers to another elimination game later in the day. Alexander Miller, Tyler Gee, and Bradly Smith had two hits each for Thomas. Quinton Stebbins (1-0) got the win in relief allowing no runs on two hits in 3.2 innings. Chase Malloy and Hunter Lebossiere had three hits each for the Beavers, while Jake Bessey, Kevin Carter, and Danny Terhune had the RBI. Bruce Springer (2-4) took the loss in relief allowing four runs on three hits in 4.0 innings. UMF finishes the season at 12-23.
Game 4- Husson 6, Northern Vermont-Lyndon 0: The host Eagles got a great pitching performance from Jesse Colford, and a late two run triple by David Leblanc to advance to championship Sunday. The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning as both starting pitchers were on top of their game. Luke Covey drove in Kobe Rogerson in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 Eagles. Michael Schneider drove in another in the seventh with an RBI single, before Leblanc gave Husson some breathing room with the deep two run triple to left field in the eighth. Ethan Stoddard continued the big eighth inning with an RBI single, and Alex Chapman added an RBI triple part of a four run inning to end the scoring. Rogerson had three hits and scored twice, and Stoddard added a pair of hits to lead the offense. Colford (7-2) went the distance 9.0 innings allowing no runs, six hits, with one walk, and seven strikeouts. Ben Rollins had two hits to lead the Hornets. Tyler Davis (4-4) took the loss allowing six runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings.
Game 5- Thomas 3, Northern Vermont-Lyndon 2: The Terriers scored three runs in the fourth inning and made it hold up and advanced to championship Sunday. Berger reached on an error allowing a run to score to give Thomas a 1-0 lead. A wild pitch and an RBI single by Miller made it 3-0 with all runs coming in the fourth. Jason Doris put the Hornets on the board in the eighth with a sacrifice fly. Lyndon got within a run on a wild pitch in the ninth inning, but Codi Smith flied out to end the game and the season. Miller led Thomas with two hits, and Ryan Scepansky (2-2) won on the mound allowing two runs on eight hits in 8.2 innings. Darren Kelly got the one out save. Smith, Rollins, and Noah Barton had two hits a piece for Northern Vermont-Lyndon. James Mundy (3-3) suffered the pitching loss allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits in 3.2 innings. The Hornets end their season with a record of 22-21.
Husson (25-14) and Thomas (14-23) square off in the championship game Sunday (game 6) at 12 noon. If Thomas wins, a game 7 winner take all game would be played 30 minutes after game 6. The winner of the NAC tournament this weekend will host the champion of the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) next weekend in a best of three series with the winner advancing to the 2019 NCAA Division III baseball championships.
