Husson baseball and softball cruise into winner bracket games on Friday

The Husson University baseball and softball teams were looking to continue their championship runs as they began play in the North Atlantic Conference playoffs on Thursday. The baseball team is hosting the NAC Tournament in Bangor, while softball is on the road in the tourney that is being hosted by SUNY Cobleskill. Both teams got off to good starts, and advanced into winner bracket games coming up on Friday where they’ll both face rival Thomas College.

In the baseball game at the Winkin Complex in Bangor- Top seeded Husson scored twice in the third inning to take the lead for good in an 8-2 victory over SUNY Cobleskill. Cam Rendell gave the Eagles the advantage with an RBI double, while Jackson Curtis (Ellsworth) provided the game winner with an RBI single. The hosts pulled away to make it more comfortable with two more runs in the sixth on a Curtis homerun, and three in the seventh. Curtis ended up with three hits and three RBI, while Rendell and Akira Warren (Hall-Dale) had two hits a piece. Rendell also drove in three runs. Connor Abood (4-3) got the pitching win allowing one run on just two hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Husson (22-14) advances to play #3 Thomas College (19-20) on Friday at 1 p.m., with the winner having the upperhand and advancing to the championship round on Saturday. The Terriers took three of four games from the Eagles in the regular season.

In the softball game at Fighting Tiger Park in Cobleskill, New York- Bulla McCabe doubled in the go ahead run in the third inning, as Husson pulled away for a 9-2 victory over the University of Maine-Farmington. The Eagles scored the first two runs, but the Beavers responded with two in the third on an error and an RBI single by Maddie Pike (Kennebunk) to knot it 2-2. The game winning double by McCabe came with two outs in bottom of the frame. They put it away with three runs each in the fourth and fifth. McCabe had two hits, while Lexi Volinsky (Noble) added two RBI. Camryn King (Nokomis) also had two RBI, two stolen bases, and scored a run. Sky Johnson (13-3) pitched a complete game in the circle allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Melissa Mayo (Lake Region) suffered the pitching loss for UMF to fall to 3-8 giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits in 3.0 innings. #1 seed Husson (25-10) will take on #3 Thomas College (17-18) on Friday at 1 p.m., with the winner having the upperhand and advancing to the championship round on Saturday. The Terriers won two games on Thursday, including knocking off the host #2 SUNY Cobleskill 6-2.