Southern Maine Downs Nichols 5-2

Junior Zach Quintal had two hits and scored two runs in USM's win over Nichols (file photo by Jason Johns).

Feeney Pitches Seven Innings Allowing One Hit

            NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- Sophomore starting pitcher Gage Feeney (Cutler, Maine/Washington) combined with two relievers to throw a three-hitter as the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Nichols College Bison 5-2 in a non-conference baseball game Sunday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex.

            The win was the second straight for the Huskies and improved their overall mark to 6-5.  The Bison, winners in their previous two games, dropped to 5-8 overall.

            Feeney allowed just one hit and no walks over seven innings.  He struck out two.  The Bison reached Feeney for a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning without the benefit of a hit to close the gap to 5-2.  The only hit Feeney surrendered was to the leadoff hitter, senior Chris Anderson (Naugatuck, Conn.), in the first inning.  After Anderson's hit, Feeney retired 13 in a row until hitting junior Michael Carmody (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) with a pitch in the fifth.  Feeney retired the last eight batters he faced.

            Sophomore Ben Lambert (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) pitched a scoreless eighth inning giving up one hit and striking out one.  Junior Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) came on to earn his third save hurling a scoreless ninth inning allowing one hit and striking out two.

            Southern Maine pounded out 15 hits off the offerings of three Bison hurlers.  Sophomore Andrew Hillier (Bangor, Maine) led the hit parade going 4 for 5.  Junior Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine/Messalonskee) had three hits while rookies Sam Troiano (South Portland, Maine) and Jason Komulainen (Gorham, Maine) and junior Zach Quintal (Eliot, Maine/Marshwood) had two hits apiece.  Troiano had the only extra-base hit in the game with a double.

            The Huskies built a 5-0 lead getting a single run in the second and two runs in the third and fourth innings.  Hillier got things going in the second reaching on an infield single and moved around the bases to eventually score on a single from sophomore Anthony Degifico (South Portland, Maine).

            Quintal and Warren set the table with back-to-back singles in the third for sophomore Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass.) to drive in Quintal with a sacrifice fly, and Warren scored on Dexter's ground out.

            In the fourth, Troiano led off with a double and scored on Quintal's single.  Quintal then stole second and Warren brought him home with a single to right field.

            A costly infield throwing error and a passed ball hurt the Huskies in the fifth.  With one out, Carmody was hit by a pitch and junior Joe Assenza's (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) ground ball was thrown away trying to get Carmody at second putting runners at second and third.  A passed ball scored Carmody from third, and sophomore Christopher Cerniglia (Monroe, N.J./St. John Vianney) drove a sacrifice fly to right scoring Assenza.

            Senior starting pitcher Stigerik McElhinney (Dracut, Mass.) took the loss for the Bison.  McElhinney went six innings allowing all five runs on 12 hits and three walks.  He struck out three.

            Southern Maine is scheduled to play on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.) at Endicott College before opening Little East Conference play on Saturday (12 p.m.) at Rhode Island College.  Nichols will play tomorrow (3 pm.) at the NEBC against New England College.