The Husson Eagles baseball team began the weekend with just four games left in the regular season, all against the University of Maine-Presque Isle Owls beginning with a doubleheader on Sunday with UMPI serving as the home team at Winkin Complex in Bangor.
In game one UMPI took an early three run lead with a four run second inning, but Husson scored seven in the fourth and went on for an 8-6 win. Michael Schneider had given the Eagles a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the top of the second. The Owls took the lead on two run doubles from both Justin Mason and Brad Patterson in the bottom half to make it 4-1. Nolan Brown, Nick Guerrette, and Kobe Rogerson tied it with RBI singles in the big fourth inning. David Leblanc walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-4 Husson, and then Ethan Stoddard hit a three run double to extend the lead to 8-4. Patterson came back with an RBI single in the bottom half of the fourth and William Stinson hit an RBI double, but that would end the scoring.
Conor McGuire had four hits for the Eagles, while Rogerson had three and Stoddard had the one big hit that proved to be the difference. Patterson had four hits for the Owls. Ben Bernier (2-0) got the win in relief of Cam Slicer for Husson allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings. Nolan Dousa got his fourth save by striking out the side in the seventh. Braydon Kennedy (0-5) allowed eight runs on 10 hits to take the loss for UMPI in 3.1 innings.
In game two Ethan Stoddard had four RBI, while Jesse Colford and Matt Smith combined on a one hit shutout as the Eagles picked up the sweep with an 11-0 win. All the offense needed was provided in the top of the first on a two run single by Stoddard in a five run inning. Alex Chapman and McGuire both walked with the bases full, and Guerrette reached on an error scoring another run to make it 5-0. Rogerson and Matt Graciano also added RBI hits in the win, as the Owls committed seven errors in the loss.
Colford (6-2) went the first 5.0 innings allowing just one hit, with no walks, and nine strikeouts. Smith didn’t give up anything in the final two frames, walking two and striking out four. Colby Spencer had the lone hit for UMPI. Spencer also suffered the loss on the mound allowing four runs on three hits with four walks in 1.0 inning in dropping to 0-6. Husson is now 21-14, 10-4 in NAC. UMPI drops to 1-30, 0-14. With a Thomas loss to Northern Vermont-Lyndon earlier in the day, both the Terriers and Hornets have five conference losses. If Husson can sweep UMPI in a doubleheader Monday, the Eagles will win the regular season NAC title and host the conference tournament next weekend. First pitch Monday is 12 pm.
