McCuaig double paces Husson> Braves sweep twinbill with Thomas

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BANGOR – Senior Sandy McCuaig knew that the freshman on the mound was tiring. All he had to do was wait.

The Moncton, N.B., senior crushed a bases-loaded, 3-0 fastball to deep right-center for a two-run double, allowing Husson College to capture a 12-11 lead for a 14-11 win and the doubleheader sweep against Thomas College of Waterville here Friday afternoon.

The Braves, now 10-10, blistered the Terriers 14-4 in a 10-run, mercy-rule first game as senior first baseman Andy Boure drove in four runs with three doubles and scored twice.

Thomas, which dropped to 0-5 after playing its first-ever Maine Athletic Conference games, nearly stole the second game behind the pitching and batting of Mars Hill-native Chad Boyd.

Thomas, with only 13 players on the roster, found themselves short one reliever as Boyd threw five solid innings using a decent fastball and changeup but got into trouble in the sixth and Husson took advantage.

“The last inning and a half was where I started tiring out,” said Boyd, who threw 86 strikes in 168 throws.

With one out and Aaron Largay of Brewer standing on second after a lead-off double, Boyd struggled with his control and threw eight balls in nine attempts to put the tying and winning runs on base.

Five pitches to Don Sawyer brought home Largay with a walk, setting the bases-loaded table for McCuaig’s second and third RBIs of the game. Boure drove in two more with a grounder into right field to ice the game.

“He had a lot of trouble throwing strikes so I figured he didn’t want to go to his curveball so I just sat on his fastball,” McCuaig said.

“They really surprised us in both games,” McCuaig said. “They were a lot stronger than we anticipated.”

Holding a slim 5-4 lead, Thomas rocked the Braves for six runs in the fifth as the Terriers took advantage of three walks and two doubles to bat around the order.

Catcher Matt Ferreira scored on shortstop Bryce Black’s sacrifice fly to center after his lead-off double.

Roman Karnes stroked a two-out grounder up the middle for a base hit, and middle reliever Mike Scorza walked the next two batters before giving up a two-run single to Bennie Campbell for an 8-4 advantage.

Scorza then walked Boyd to load the bases, and Steve Morrell’s double drove in two more before closer Rich Doble came in to shut the door on the Terriers.

Doble gave up one hit in the following 2 1/3 innings, striking out two and walking one to improve to 2-1 with four saves on the season.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Husson coach John Kolansinski said of Doble. “He never pitched last year. Worked out the whole year last year but we couldn’t get him in. Probably poor coaching.”

The Braves answered with a two-run sixth, sparked by McCuaig’s two-out RBI single and Roy Peary’s one-run double to cut the deficit to 11-9.

McCuaig led the Braves with two singles, a double and four runs, fellow senior Boure added a three-run home run in the fourth and Largay singled twice and drove in a run.

Boyd led Thomas at the plate with a four-for-four game and two RBIs. Campbell added two singles and two RBIs, and Morrell doubled, singled and drove in two.

“They really surprised us in both games,” McCuaig said. “They were a lot stronger than we anticipated.”

Braves 14, Terriers 4

(Friday’s First Game, 5 inns.)

Thomas (0-4) Husson (9-10)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Campbell, 2b 2 1 0 0 Cyr, lf 3 1 0 0

Boyd, 3b 2 1 1 0 Sawyer, ss 3 2 0 0

Morrell, rf 1 1 0 0 McCuaig, cf 2 4 2 2

Ferreira, c 3 1 1 1 Boure, 1b 3 2 3 4

Nadeau, lf 3 0 1 1 Peary, dh 2 1 0 1

Black, ss 2 0 2 1 Malo, rf 3 2 2 2

Leveille, cf 2 0 0 0 Largay, 2b 3 0 0 0

Karnes, 1b 1 0 0 0 a-Roy 0 1 0 0

Joslyn, p 2 0 0 0 Williams, c 3 1 2 2

McCarty, 3b 3 0 1 0

Totals 18 4 5 3 Totals 25 14 10 11

a-ran for Largay in the first

Thomas 103 00 – 4

Husson 621 32 – 14

E – Black 4, Karnes; Sawyer 2B – Black; Boure 3, Malo, Williams 3B – McCuaig, Malo HR – Williams LOB – Thomas 3; Husson 4 DP – Black to Campbell to Karnes; Largay to Sawyer to Boure; Sawyer to Largay to Boure SF – Boure, Peary

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Thomas

Joslin (L, 0-2) 4 2/3 10 14 9 2 0

Husson

Curtis (W, 2-2) 5 4 4 3 5 2

HBP – Sawyer by Joslin, McCuaig by Joslin WP – Curtis 2 TIME – 1:37 ATTENDANCE – 32

Braves 14, Terriers 11

(Second Game)

Thomas (0-5) Husson (10-10)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Campbell, 2b 3 2 2 2 Cyr, lf 4 2 1 0

Boyd, p 4 2 4 2 Sawyer, ss 3 3 2 1

Morrell, rf 5 0 2 2 McCuaig, cf 5 4 3 3

Ferreira, c 3 1 1 1 Boure, 1b 3 2 2 3

Nadeau, lf 2 2 0 0 a-Roy 0 0 0 0

Black, ss 3 0 1 1 Peary, dh 5 0 1 1

Karnes, 1b 3 1 1 0 Malo, rf 3 0 1 0

Pillsbury, 3b 3 1 1 1 Largay, 2b 3 1 1 0

Leveille, cf 2 2 0 0 Williams, c 3 0 1 0

McCarty, 3b 2 2 0 0

Totals 28 11 12 9 Totals 31 14 12 8

a-ran for Boure in sixth

Thomas 013 160 0 – 11

Husson 400 325 x – 14

E – Black 2, Karnes; Boure, Largay, McCarty 3 2B – Morrell, Ferreira; Peary, Largay HR – Boure LOB – Thomas 7, Husson 9 DP – Ferreira to Campbell; Malo to Sawyer, Rocheford to Sawyer to Boure, McCarty to Largay to Boure SB – Leveille, Boyd; Sawyer, McCuaig, Roy S – Karnes; Campbell SF – Boure

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Thomas

Boyd (L, 0-2) 6 11 14 11 9 3

Husson

Rocheford 2 2/3 4 4 3 3 2

Scorza 2 3 7 7 4 0

Doble (W, 2-1) 2 1/3 1 0 0 1 2

WP – Boyd 2; Rocheford, Dobel PB – Ferreira TIME – 2:32 ATTENDANCE – 22