The USM baseball team was back in action this weekend after an outstanding 2009 season that saw the Huskies go to the Division III New England Regional Tournament for the second consecutive year. USM opened their 2010 season with a 7-3 win over Old Westbury on Saturday, and a 15-4 win over Albertus Magnus at the Baseball Heaven Complex in Yaphank, N.Y.
On Saturday, junior starting pitcher Ben Ives (Portland) pitched a solid 7.2 innings to get his first win of the season. Ives allowed only nine hits in his 7.2 innings on the mound, while walking one and striking out four to shutdown the Panthers.
The Huskies got the scoring started in the first when a two-out walk, outfield error and passed ball by Old Westbury resulted in an unearned run. Junior OF/P Mike Eaton (Sebattus) put up another run for the Huskies as he hit his first homerun of the season, a solo shot, in the third to put USM ahead 2-0.
“Ben pitched very well for us today, and we took advantage of the errors that they had,” Henry said. “It feels good to start the season with a win.”
Old Westbury gained a run back in the third on a sacrifice fly and a solo homerun, but the Huskies would take the lead in the fifth with three runs and never looked back.
Senior 1b/P Collin Henry (Penobscot) scored two runs when he hit a double down the first base line, and then scored on a Panther infield error to put the Huskies up 5-2. USM loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth and scored two insurance runs on another infield miscue by Old Westbury.
After Ives was taken out after 7.2 innings of solid pitching, junior pitcher Nick Hahn (Guilford, Conn.) came in to get the final out of the out of the eighth, and handed the ball over to Eaton who pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
In Sunday’s game, the Huskies benefitted from solid pitching as Henry started the game and went five innings giving up four hits, one walk, and striking out seven. Henry also led the Huskies at the plate as he drove in five runs off a three-run homerun, two doubles, and a single.Junior pitcher Ben Ives (Portland) delivers a pitch in a game against Bowdoin College last spring. Ives went 7.2 innings in Saturday’s 7-3 season opening win against Old Westbury at the Baseball Heaven Complex in Yaphank, N.Y. The Huskies also played on Sunday at Baseball Heaven against Albertus Magnus as they used a 16 hit attack to earn a 15-4 win to start the season 2-0. zHenry hit his three-run blast in the first, a double in the Huskies three-run third inning, and an RBI double in a seven-run fourth inning.
Eaton continued his early season hot streak while compiling two hits along with sophomore OF Roberto Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.), and freshman infielder John Carey who hit his first collegiate homerun. Carey’s homerun was a three-run shot.
Following Henry’s homerun in the first, Eaton plated Valenti with an RBI single, and sophomore catcher Lucas Marks (Orland) followed up with a RBI single and scored on a wild pitch. Valenti plated another run on a fielder’s choice to put the Huskies on top 7-0. Rookie OF Tucker White (Deerfield, N.H.) joined the mashing himself when he hit an RBI double in the fourth.
Henry was replaced on the mound by senior Andrew DeBethune (St. Albans) who pitched the sixth, junior Jim Nicknair (Glenburn) who pitched the seventh, sophomore Dustin Stanton (Cornish) who pitched the eighth, and senior Joe Curran (Arlington, Mass.) who close the game in the ninth.
USM will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Farmingdale, N.Y. to take on SUNY-Farmingdale for a 10 a.m. start on Saturday.