New Hampshire Hardball

NEC extends season

GORHAM, ME. – Jameson Carey walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th inning gave New England College the 7-6 win over No. 3 Southern Maine in the NCAA Division III Gorham Regional Sunday evening at Ed Flaherty Field.

THE BASICS
Score:  Game One – No. 3 Southern Maine 16, New England College 4
Game Two – New England College 7, Southern Maine 6 (13 Innings)
Records: Pilgrims (28-16, 10-6 NECC) | Huskies (37-9, 14-2 LEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One – No. 3 Southern Maine 16, New England College 4
The Huskies wasted no time to get on the board as they struck in the top of the first. Devin Warren led off the game with a triple to deep center field, before scoring on a single to right field. USM picked up one more run on a ground out to third. In the second inning, Southern Maine expanded their advantage to 5-0, capped off by a two-RBI double off the bat of Andrew Hillier.

For the third consecutive inning, the Huskies put up a crooked number in the runs column as they plated four runs in the frame. Southern Maine made it 10-0 in the top of the sixth inning, as Jake Dexter singled home Zach Quintal from third. Dexter picked up another RBI in the game, as the senior drew a bases-loaded walk.

New England College’s bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh, as Connor Morin led off the inning with a double to deep right-center field, ending Ben Lambert’s no-hitter bid. After reaching third on a passed ball, Morin scored on a Xavier Nunez sacrifice fly to center field. Luis Atiles came around to score later in the inning, as Jameson Carey ripped a single up the middle.

In the top of the eighth inning, Southern Maine exploded for five runs in the top half of the inning on five straight hits. NEC pushed across two runs in the bottom of the inning, as Delaney and Nunez pick up RBIs in the frame.

Game Two – New England College 7, No. 3 Southern Maine 6 – 13 Innings
The Pilgrims were the first team to strike in game two, as Nunez worked a full count walk, driving in Aybar from third. On the next pitch, Atiles drove in two with a double to the right-center gap to chase Southern Maine’s starter Dalton Rice after a third of an inning. Nick Powers made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to the center-field warning track.

Southern Maine responded in the top of the second, with two outs in the inning the Huskies picked up one run after three straight flair hits. In their next at-bat, USM loaded the bases with no outs in the inning, but Dylan Champagne got back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out to escape with no runs.

After the second straight inning of getting out of a bases-loaded jam, Sam Troiano led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run over the left field fence. In the top of sixth Southern Maine took the lead, with a four running inning capped off with a two-run homer by Dylan Hapworth to center field.

The Pilgrims answered in the bottom of the seventh, as Carey singled before Aybar doubled to left center field. After USM head coach Ed Flaherty put in his closer Jake Dexter, Anderson Jimenez hit a cue shot back up the middle scoring Carey from third. A Morin groundout plated Aybar to tie the game up a 6-6.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Pilgrims got Maestu and Carey to reach with one out, but Dexter got a strikeout and a ground out to send the game to the top of the ninth.

After Devin Warren led off the top half of the 10th with a single, Shaun Cormier got a fly out and a strikeout. With two outs in the inning, Joe Maestu threw out Warren at second while trying to steal second to end the inning.

In the top of the 11th inning with the bases loaded and two outs, Jason Komulainen hit a flair to right field, where Jimenez made a diving back play to rob the Huskies of multiple runs. In the top of the 12th, the Huskies had runners on first and third with no outs, but Zach Quintal lined to Bobby Fulkerson at third base who doubled up Warren on the play. With a runner at second base, Jake Dexter put a charge into the ball, but Powers caught it on the warning track.

After Cormier pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 13th, the Pilgrims ended the game in the bottom half of the inning. Powers led off the inning, reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman, before being moved over on a Maestu sacrifice bunt. Jameson Carey was the hero for NEC, as the junior ripped a walk-off single to right center field, plating Powers for the winner.

Dylan Champagne got the start in game two for New England College. The freshman scattered 14 hits over 5.2 innings while striking out three and allowing just two earned runs. Shaun Cormier picked up the win for NEC, as the sophomore pitched 7.1 innings allowing four hits and no runs.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-This was the second and third meeting between the two schools. New England College now leads the series 2-1.
-NEC became the second team this season to down Southern Maine twice this year, the other the Pilgrims next opponent UMass Boston.
-Out of the nine-hole, Carey was the only Pilgrim to have multiple hits in both games.

UP NEXT
NEC will take on UMass Boston in the Super Regionals on May 24th and 25th.

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