USM wins, advances

PORTLAND – Gary Williamson drove in four runs with a single and his fifth home run of the season, leading an 18-hit plate attack that carried the University of Southern Maine to a 21-4 win over UMass-Dartmouth in the NCAA Division III Northeast Regional baseball tournament at Hadlock Field Friday afternoon.

Southern Maine will face UMass-Dartmouth, an 8-5 winner over Brandeis Friday night, in Saturday’s championship round at 1 p.m. Brandeis defeated Bridgewater State 6-5 in the first game Friday.

If UMass-Dartmouth wins Saturday, the two teams will play again immediately after the first game.

Jim DiMillo also drove in four runs for the defending national champion Huskies of USM, socking a double and single. Shawn Brown pitched four innings of shutout ball, before Jeff Lyon (2-0) came on to pick up the win in relief. Southern Maine improved to 29-8.

For UMass-Dartmouth, now 31-10, Obed Core slammed two doubles and a single. Gary Sharp doubled and singled to drive in two runs.

Southern Maine 317 710 002 – 21 18 0 UMass-Dartmouth 000 000 220 – 4 8 6

Brown, Lyon (5), Lewis (7), Caron (8) and Misiaszek, St. Onge (7); Kitchen, Brymer (1), Santos (4) and Coppeta