USM second baseman/pitcher Jake Dexter tries to lay down a bunt during NCAA regional baseball action against Oswego State at Ed Flaherty Field in Gorham on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Photo by Chris Lessner (click to enlarge)
GORHAM, Maine- After losing in the opening game Friday, the University of Southern Maine Huskies avoided elimination in the NCAA Division III baseball tournament on Saturday afternoon and evening at Ed Flaherty Field with a pair of wins in elimination games. USM came from behind for a win over Oswego State, and then blew out Massachusetts Institute of Technology to advance to the regional final round on Sunday.
In the opening game of the day, a pitchers duel had the teams scoreless through five and a half innings. Brandon Nicholson and Mike Dellicarri both hit RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth to put the Lakers up 2-0, ending the day for USM starter Josh Joy. With the bases loaded and noone out, former Messalonskee High standout Jake Dexter came in to pitch. Dexter was able to induce a groundball and a runner was cut down at the plate for the first out. The Huskies then turned a 4-6-3 double play to avoid further damage.
Former Bangor Ram Andrew Hillier led off the seventh for USM with a double. Dexter knocked him in with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 2-1. The score remained the same until the top of the ninth when the Huskies were down to their last three outs. That is when Hillier led off the rally with a single, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Devin Warren then grounded out to shortstop and Hillier took third. Dexter then hit a fly ball to right fielder Dellicarri, that was misplayed and dropped and rolled to the fence. Hillier scored to tie it and Dexter ended up at third base. Matt Bowman then relieved Oswego starter Nick DeMarco on the mound, and threw a wild pitch that allowed Dexter to come home with what turned out to be the winning run to make it 3-2 Huskies. Dexter got the Lakers leadoff hitter to groundout in the bottom half, before Ryan Weiss singled. Casey Gruarin then grounded one to USM shortstop Andrew Olszak, who touched second and threw to first for the unassisted double play to end the game.
Hillier had three hits and Zach Quintal had two to lead the Huskies. Dexter (2-1) got the win in relief allowing no runs, two hits, with no walks, and one strikeout in 4.0 innings. Nicholson had two hits to lead the Lakers, who end their season at 29-14. DeMarco (6-3) took the loss on the mound allowing three runs (two earned), six hits, with no walks, and six strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
USM pitcher Josh Joy fires a first inning pitch against Oswego State in the NCAA Division III baseball regionals in Gorham on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Photo by Chris Lessner (click to enlarge)
In the final game of the day and in another elimination contest, USM used a pair of six run innings to roll over and end the season for the MIT Engineers by a 14-5 score. Hillier and Dexter continued their big days in the third inning. Hillier hit a two run double down the left field line, and Dexter nailed an RBI single to make it 3-0. Sam Troiano finished off the big inning by hitting a two run triple down the right field line, then coming across the plate on a throwing error on the same play to extend to a 6-0 advantage. Matt Johnston got MIT on the board in the bottom half with a two run homer. With the score 7-3 in the seventh, the Huskies blew it open. Troiano hit a two run double, Jack Sylvia an RBI single, Hillier drove in another with an infield hit, Quintal added an RBI single, and then Jason Komulainen tagged on an RBI groundout to make it 13-3 and put the game away.
Troiano had three hits and four RBI, while Warren, Hillier, and Dexter all had two hits a piece all part of a 14 hit attack. Gage Feeney (7-2), a product of Washington Academy, got the pitching win allowing three runs, five hits, with one walk, and four strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Johnston had two hits to lead MIT, who finishes their season at 23-19-1. Nick Charcut (0-3) was tagged in the loss on the hill allowing five runs, three hits, with four walks, and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings.
USM (36-8) will now face New England College Sunday in the regional final round. The Pilgrims were a 6-5 come from behind winner earlier Saturday over MIT in a winners bracket game. NEC has won nine games in a row and are 27-15 on the season. The Huskies will need to win the first game at noon to force a winner take all second game later Sunday afternoon. New England College beat USM in the first game of the regionals on Friday 10-2.
