Baseball Drops Two to Husson

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Husson University baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader against Bridgewater State University on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park.  The visiting Eagles came away with a 6-1 victory in the opener and completed the sweep with a 3-0 shutout in game two.

Husson (10-5) used the outstanding pitching of senior Ryan Arsenault (Portland, Maine) and junior Nathan Adams (Frankfort, Maine) to limit the host Bears (5-5) to just one run over the two games.  Arsenault (3-0) went the distance in the opener as he scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out four.  Adams (2-1) was dominant in the nightcap, tossing a complete game, two-hit shutout. He walked one batter and struck out eight.

In game one, Husson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Bridgewater senior pitcher Jeff Puopolo (Brockton, Mass.) walked four batters in the frame.  The first run scored on a wild pitch and the second on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Jake Arthers (Belfast, Maine).

Husson scored two unearned runs in the fourth to make it 4-0 as the Eagles took advantage of two costly errors on back-to-back attempted sacrifice bunts.  The first error came on a bobble with nobody out and runner of first.  The following play Bridgewater had the lead runner forced at third, but the throw sailed over the third baseman's head allowing a run to score.  Husson made it 4-0 one batter later on a sacrifice fly by junior Kyle Vanidestine (Bangor, Maine).

After Bridgewater cut the deficit to 4-1 on an RBI single by sophomore Jose Polanco (Lawrence, Mass.) in the fifth, Husson responded with two runs in the top of the sixth. Arthers doubled and junior Tom Crews (Bangor, Maine) was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  They would both come around to score later in the inning on a wild pitch and an errant throw from the catcher.

Puopolo (1-1) went the distance for the Bears in game one as he allowed six runs (four earned) on four hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts.  Polanco paced Bridgewater offensively as he went 2-for-3 with a double and the RBI single.

Senior Chris Maguire (Orland, Maine) was the only Eagle with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Arthers finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Adams gave up just the two hits, both to BSU junior Ian Williams (Taunton, Mass.), as he stymied the Bears' offense in game two.  He did not allow a single runner to reach second base throughout the contest.

Husson plated single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings.  Freshman Colin Ciomei (Stonington, Maine) tripled in a run in the third and Crews notched an RBI single in the sixth.  The Eagles tallied an unearned run in the fifth thanks to a pair of infield errors.

Sophomore Corey Batista (Fall River, Mass.) pitched well for the Bears in the loss.  Batista (1-1) went all seven innings giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Senior Ethan Guerette (Sabattus, Maine) had two of the Eagles' six hits as he doubled and singled in three at bats.

Bridgewater State returns to the diamond on Wednesday afternoon when the Bears host UMass Dartmouth at 3:30.