Braves chip away to defeat Spartans

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The metamorphosis of the Husson College baseball team now seems complete.

The once free-swinging, hit-the-hell-out-of-the-ball Braves have taken a new approach to their offense this season. It’s called the National League Approach to Baseball – keeping active on the basepaths, moving runners over, and manufacturing runs.

The result Friday afternoon was a 9-1 victory over Castleton (Vt.) State in a first-round NAIA District 5 tournament game played at the Mansfield Complex in Bangor.

Third-seeded Husson of Bangor, now 12-12, will face the winner of Friday night’s University of Maine-Farmington vs. Lyndon State game at 3 p.m. Saturday in the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination affair. Second-seeded Castleton State slipped to 12-13 and will play an elimination contest at noon.

Coach John Kolasinski’s Braves posted 13 hits to back up winning pitcher Matt Dutille (5-2).

“Coach said at the beginning of the season that we’re not a team to hit home runs and power the ball,” said Husson catcher Ron Mayo. “We’re a scrappy team and we’ll get runs anyway we can.”

Mayo typified the Braves’ new-look offense, helping Husson build its insurmountable lead.

With a 2-0 lead heading into the top of the fourth, Frank Peckham and Bill Swift hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. Mayo sacrificed both runners over and Peckham scored on a Lance Bean sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

In the sixth, Robbie White reached on an error and went to second when Castleton loser Colin Greene (3-3) balked. Peckham singled to left-center and took second when the throw went toward third base. A sacrifice fly by Swift plated White and moved Peckham to third.

On Greene’s first pitch to Mayo, Peckham broke for the plate and Husson’s catcher laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to make it 5-0.

“The squeeze was important for us,” said Kolasinski. “We hadn’t attempted one at all this season. It was a good chance to put the pressure on. (Mayo) is our best bunter. He’s the man I want up there.”

That left the rest up to Dutille, who took turns looking unbeatable at times, wild at others.

Dutille, a senior righthander, finished with 11 strikeouts and five walks. He surrendered only five hits, but a Castleton batter reached base in every inning except the ninth. All told, the Spartans left 10 runners on base.

“He’s a competitor and that’s the No. 1 thing with him,” said Mayo. “He loves the pressure situations and he always comes through for us.”

“It was a typical Matt performance,” said Kolasinski. “A lot of guys on base and he bears down when he has to. That’s been Matt over the four years.”

Husson padded its lead in the late innings with back-to-back triples by Troy Martin and White led to two runs in the seventh, and solo home runs by Swift in the eighth and Matt McBride in the ninth.

McBride made a wonderful diving catch in right field to rob Castleton’s Greene in the third. Porter, at third, also made a great defense play in the fifth when he robbed Steve Studley of a single and threw the batter out from his knees.

Sean Sullivan led Husson with three singles while White had a double and a triple.

Andy McMaster was the only Castleton batter to have much luck off Dutille, singling three times in five appearances. Mike Baranski singled home Greene from second in the sixth for Castleton’s run.

Braves 9, Spartans 1

Husson Castleton State

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Sullivan, cf 5 1 3 1 Studley, rf 5 0 1 0

Martin, lf 4 1 1 2 McMaster, lf 5 0 3 0

White, ss 5 1 2 1 Ellis, 3b 3 0 0 0

Peckham, 2b 5 2 2 0 Greene, p-dh 3 1 0 0

Swift, 1b 4 1 2 2 Cassorino, 1b 3 0 0 0

Mayo, c 2 0 0 1 a-Barnes 0 0 0 0

Bean, dh 3 1 1 1 Depoy, cf 3 0 0 0

Porter, 3b 4 1 1 0 Baranski, 2b 2 0 1 1

McBride, rf 4 1 1 1 French, c 4 0 0 0

Smith, ss 3 0 0 0

b-Eugair 1 0 0 0

Totals 36 9 13 9 Totals 32 1 5 1

a-ran for Cassorino in eighth

b-struck out for Smith in ninth

Husson 002 102 211 – 9

Castleton State 000 001 000 – 1

E – Swift, Porter; Smith 2B – Bean, White 3B – Martin, White HR – Swift (5), McBride (3) LOB – Husson 5; Castleton St. 10 SB – Sullivan 2 S – Mayo 2 SF – Martin, Bean, Swift

Pitching Summary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Husson

Dutille (W, 5-2) 9 5 1 1 5 11

Castleton State

Greene (L, 3-3) 6 2/3 9 7 6 0 4

Rivers 2 1/3 4 2 2 0 0

HBP – Cassorino (by Dutille) WP – Dutille BK – Dutille; Greene 2 TIME -2:37