Husson takes three from UMF Braves’ McInnis strong

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BANGOR – Husson College freshman righthander Chris McInnis’ first career start was memorable.

McInnis pitched a tidy six-hit complete game, throwing 58 strikes among 85 pitches, to lead the Braves to a 7-1 win over the University of Maine-Farmington that capped a Sunday sweep. Husson won Sunday’s opener 12-5 behind a 15-hit attack and Paul Klink’s strong eight-inning, five-hit stint.

The Sunrise Conference rivals split a Saturday pair with Husson triumphing in the opener 4-3 and UMF rallying for a 13-12 victory in the nightcap.

First games of Sunrise Conference doubleheaders are nine innings.

“[Catcher] Jason Folsom called a real good game. I just listened to him and threw it where he put [his catcher’s mitt],” said Winslow’s McInnis, who struck out six, didn’t walk anybody and hit two batters. “I threw a lot of fastballs and mixed in a curve every once in a while.”

“He did a good job. You’ve got to give him credit,” said UM-Farmington senior shortstop Dave Sharland. “He didn’t walk anyone and when you pitch like that, you give your team a good chance to win.”

Husson, which improved to 10-10 overall, 4-2 in conference play, staked McInnis to a 5-0 lead.

In a three-run first inning, Billy Kane capped the rally by poking a two-run opposite-field single to right.

“I was looking for a curve because they had gotten me on a curve earlier in the first game,” said Kane. “I reached out and tapped it. Luckily, it got through.”

In the second, Husson reached starter and loser Al Glossian for a pair of two-out runs on Jason Harvey’s single, Josh Ferguson’s triple and Folsom’s base hit.

Zac Reed’s fielder’s choice produced the UMF run in the third but McInnis got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam by striking out Tom Ventura.

Husson answered with two more in the bottom of the third on Tony Creek’s RBI single and Justin Spencer’s RBI fielder’s choice before reliever John Rutkiewicz came on and retired all 10 hitters he would face.

Ferguson and Kane and UMF’s James Writer had two hits apiece.

UMF is now 4-7, 3-3 in conference play.

In the opener, Craig Harvey atoned for a fifth-inning error that gave UMF a 5-4 lead with a booming RBI triple to center in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth. Both were two-run rallies.

“After making that error, I wanted to focus on my next at-bat,” said Harvey. “In my two previous at-bats, I got curveballs. So I sat on the fastball and got a nice one to drive, right down the middle.”

Kane singled him home to give Husson the lead for good.

Spencer’s single and Ferguson’s double preceded Harvey’s single in the sixth.

Klink struck out three and walked two and just three of the five runs off him were earned.

“I hit my spots inside and out. I changed speeds,” said righty Klink.

Tony Laprino had a triple, double and single and two RBIs for Husson. Folsom had two hits, including a two-run homer. Ferguson, Craig Harvey, Kane and Spencer also had two hits each.

Keith LeBlanc had two hits and two RBIs for UMF.

On Saturday, Jason Harvey’s run-scoring single in the ninth broke a 3-3 tie and made a winner of his brother Craig, who hurled eight innings of five-hit three-run ball. Jason Harvey’s hit was his third of the game while brother Craig, Kane and Spencer had two each.

Zac Reed pitched a complete-game 12-hitter for UMF and aided his own cause with two hits.

In the second game, Jeff Casavant’s three-run homer capped a four-run eighth-inning rally that erased a 12-9 deficit.

Casavant had three hits and four RBIs while Dustin Armitage had three hits and Writer, Reed and Justin Quimby had two each.

Ferguson had four hits, including a homer, and five RBIs for Husson. Jason Harvey had three hits and Spencer homered.

BRAVES 12, BEAVERS 5

(Sunday’s First Game)

UM-Farmington (4-6) Husson (9-10)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

LeBlanc, 2b 4 2 2 2 J. Harvey, ss 4 1 0

Sharland, ss 4 1 1 0 Ferguson, 3b 4 3 0

Writer, cf 4 0 1 1 Folsom, c 3 1 2

Reed, lf 4 0 1 0 a-Creek 0 2 0 0

c-Fay 0 0 0 0 C. Harvey, 1b 5 1 2

Casavant, p 4 0 0 0 Kane, rf 4 1 1

Ventura, c 1 1 0 0 Estes, rf 1 1 2

b-Kemp 1 0 0 0 Laprino, lf 5 1 2

d-Jellison 0 0 0 0 Mathieu, dh 5 0 0

Smith, 3b 3 0 0 0 Henderson, 2b 4 0 0

Quimby, 1b 2 0 0 0 Spencer, cf 4 1 1

e-D. Cummings 1 0 0 0

E. Cummings, rf 3 1 1 0

f-Castle 1 0 0 0

Totals 32 5 5 3 Totals 39 12 15 10

a-courtesy runner for Folsom in 1st, 5th, 8th; b-courtesy runner for Ventura in 6th, struck out for Smith in 9th; c?ran for Reed in 8th; d?ran for Ventura in 9th; e?struck out for Quimby in 9th; f?struck out for E. Cummings in 9th

UM-Farmington 000 140 000 ? 5

Husson 012 122 04x ? 12

E?Ventura, E. Cummings, C. Harvey, Kane; LOB?UMF 4, Husson 7; 2B?LeBlanc 2, Ferguson, Laprino; 3B?C. Harvey, Kane, Laprino; HR?Folsom (3); DP?Henderson-J. Harvey-C. Harvey; Ferguson-Henderson-C. Harvey; SB?Writer, Ferguson, Creek, C. Harvey, Spencer

UMF IP H R ER BB SO

Casavant (L, 1-2) 5 10 6 6 1 6

Armitage 2 2/3 5 6 6 3 4

Willard 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

Klink (W, 2-0) 8 5 5 3 2 3

Brideau 1 0 0 0 0 3

HBP?Ventura 2 (by Klink); WP?Armitage 3; BK?Armitage; T- 2:31;ATT? 65 (est.)

BRAVES 7, BEAVERS 1

(Sunday’s Second Game)

UM-Farmington (4-7) Husson (10-10)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

LeBlanc, 2b 4 0 1 0 J. Harvey, ss 2 2 0

Sharland, ss 2 1 0 0 Ferguson, 3b 4 2 1

Writer, cf 3 0 2 0 Folsom, c 3 0 1

Jellison, cf 0 0 0 0 a-Brideau 0 1 0

Reed, lf 3 0 0 1 C. Harvey, 1b 3 1 1

Rutkiewicz, p 3 0 1 0 Kane, rf 3 2

Casavant, 1b 2 0 1 0 Laprino, lf 3 0 0

Ventura, c 3 0 1 0 Creek, dh 3 0 1

b-Armitage 1 0 0 0 Spencer, cf 3 0 1

Willard, 3b 2 0 0 0 Henderson, 2b 3 0 0

Doubleday, rf 3 0 0 0

Totals 26 1 6 1 Totals 27 7 8 7

a-courtesy runner for Folsom in 1st, 2nd; b-courtesy runner for Ventura in 2nd, popped up for Willard in 7th

UM-Farmington 001 000 0 ? 1

Husson 322 000 x ? 7

E?LeBlanc, Sharland, Willard, Doubleday; Ferguson; LOB?UMF 7, Husson 4; 3B?Ferguson; DP?McInnis-J. Harvey-C. Harvey; SB?LeBlanc, J. Harvey, Spencer

UMF IP H R ER BB SO

Glossian (L, 0-1) 2 2/3 8 7 5 2 3

Rutkiewicz 3 1/3 0 0 0 0 4

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

McInnis (W, 1-0) 7 6 1 1 0 6

HBP? Sharland 2 (by McInnis), Casavant (by McInnis); WP? McInnis 2; T? 1:39; ATT? 50 (est.)