Baseball Draws Split With Nationally-Ranked Southern Maine, Wins Opener 8-4

Auburndale, FL --- Worcester State split a pair of games with #11 Southern Maine on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at the Lake Myrtle Complex. Junior Tyler Barrie (Oxford, MA) underscored the Lancers 8-4 victory in the opener before the squad dropped a 16-1 loss in the nightcap.

In a rematch of the NCAA Division III Tournament opening round from a year ago, the Lancers erased an early 2-0 deficit by scoring six times in the bottom of the third.

With runners on the corners, junior Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA) laced an RBI single through the left side of the infield before senior Zach George (Attleboro, MA) belted a bases-clearing double to left for the 4-2 edge.

WSU tacked on two more scores in the frame on a run producing triple by sophomore Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, MA) and an RBI by classmate Adam Barry (Auburn, MA/Holy Name).

The Lancers added some insurance with single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings, highlighted by an RBI solo knock by senior Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) and a run scoring ground out by Ryan for the 8-2 edge.

Entering the top of the seventh, the Huskies took advantage of a miscue at third base and scored twice in the innings, but senior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) got out of the frame to help preserve the win.

Barrie (1-0) was solid over six innings, permitting two unearned runs on six hits to go with one walk and three strikeouts. It marked his first win of the campaign and his second collegiate victory.

George touched home plate twice and he had three RBIs while Barry was the lone multi-hitter with two knocks.

In the second contest, Worcester State opened the game with the 1-0 margin in the top of the first. With a runner on first, senior David Ruggiero (Peabody, MA) stretched out a double down the line and Barry scampered home on an errant throw by the shortstop into second base.

Southern Maine, however, soon tied the score with a solo run in the bottom of the second and took over the 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the third.

The Huskies notched another tally in the fourth, but put the game out of reach with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth for the commanding 11-1 advantage.  

USM senior Dylan Morris (Bangor, ME) underscored a five-run bottom of the sixth with a three-run triple.

The Lancers couldn't solve senior Andrew Richards (S. Portland, ME) who tossed four scoreless innings of two-hit relief. Richards also entered the top of the third and stranded a man 90 feet from home plate with the score tied 1-1.

Sophomore Neil Begley (Springfield, MA) absorbed the loss. Begley (0-1) went four-plus innings allowing four earned runs on seven hits while he walked one and recorded one punch out.

Worcester State was limited to five base-knocks as a team with no multi-hitters.

Southern Maine is currently ranked 11th in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25 Poll and 13th in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30 Poll.

The Lancers will play Mount Saint Vincent on Thursday at Henley Field in Lakeland with a 10 AM first-pitch. USM is slated to play at Western New England in Massachusetts on Sunday at 2 o'clock.