Brunelle powers Colby by Husson

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BANGOR – Colby College senior shortstop and co-captain Kevin Brunelle of Augusta had been mired in a slump.

But that ended on Tuesday.

Leadoff hitter Brunelle had his second career four-hit game and drove in four runs to lead the Mules to a 6-4 win over Husson College at the John Winkin Baseball Complex.

Colby of Waterville is 6-9-1 while Husson fell to 10-11.

Brunelle’s two-out, two-run double in the second staked Colby to a 3-0 lead; his two-out RBI base hit in the fourth made it 4-1; he singled and scored in the sixth and plated an important insurance run in the eighth with a bloop single into right center.

“I hadn’t been swinging the bat well. This felt good,” said Brunelle. “I changed my stance a little bit after my first at-bat and got a hit in my second at-bat so I stuck with it.

“What I did was rested the bat on my shoulder. That helped me with my top hand. I was able to swing through the ball with my top hand and I got a little more on it,” explained Brunelle.

Brunelle and his Mule teammates went 8-for-23 (.348) with men on base while the Braves went 3-for-21 (143).

“That’s unbelievable,” said Brunelle. “Before this game, we were probably under .100. [with men on base]. We hadn’t been delivering. Hopefully, this will get us out of our funk.”

“They did what they had to do offensively and defensively,” said Husson coach John Kolasinski. “We didn’t.”

“We didn’t get the timely hits today,” agreed Husson’s Jason Folsom, who had three of Husson’s seven hits. Husson stranded 13 runners.

Colby senior righthander Owen Kenney pitched five innings of four-hit ball to pick up his second win in three decisions. The only run off him was unearned. He walked one and didn’t strike out anybody.

Husson starter Jeremy York took the loss as he walked four, three of whom scored, and allowed four runs and four hits in four innings.

A two-out walk to Matt Gibson and Dan Deacon’s double gave Colby a 1-0 lead in the first before two walks and Brunelle’s double over left fielder Tony Laprino’s head made it 3-0 in the second.

Husson got an unearned run in the bottom of the second before Brunelle extended the lead in the fourth.

Tyler Silvestro singled home Brunelle in the sixth before Brunelle’s “excuse me hit” to right in the eighth made it 6-1.

Husson’s Steve Estes’ RBI single in the bottom of the eight cut the lead to 6-2 but Bob Jacobs, making his first college appearance, struck out Shawn Henderson with the bases loaded to end the inning.

John Michael Beitia came on and walked two hitters in the top of the ninth and Folsom’s base hit greeted Jared Cushman and loaded the bases.

Cushman hit Craig Harvey with a pitch to force in a run but he struck out Chris McInnis, got Laprino on an RBI grounder and, a walk later, he froze Seth Stoddard with a sideam fastball for a called third strike to end the game.

Colby’s B.L. Lippert and Husson’s Estes had two hits to join Brunelle and Folsom in the multiple-hit department.

MULES 6, BRAVES 4

Colby (6-9-1) Husson (10-11)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Brunelle, ss 5 1 4 4 J. Harvey, ss 4 1 0

Silvestro, lf 5 0 1 1 Ferguson, 3b 1 0

Gibson, cf 3 1 1 0 Urquhart, 3b 1 0 0

Deacon, dh 4 0 1 1 Folsom, cf 4 1 0

King, dh 1 0 0 0 C. Harvey, 1b 3 0 1

Ames, 1b 2 0 0 0 a-Carbonneau 1 0 0

Johnson, 1b 1 0 1 0 Kane, dh 2 1 0

b-Vacca 0 0 0 0 Potvin, dh 2 0 0

Boyce, rf 1 0 0 0 c-McInnis 1 0 0

Hales, rf 3 0 1 0 Laprino, lf 3 0 1

Lippert, 3b 4 2 2 0 Estes, rf 4 0 1

Domestico, 2b 3 1 1 0 Stoddard, c 4 0

Lynch, c 2 1 0 0 d-Brideau 0 0 0

e-Roy 0 0 0 0 Henderson, 2b 2 0 0

e-Ham 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 6 12 6 Totals 32 4 7 3

a-struck out for C. Harvey in 8th inning; b-ran for Johnson in 9th; c-struck out for Potvin in 9th; d-courtesy runner for Stoddard in 1st and 8th; e-sacrificed for Lynch in 8th

Colby 120 101 010 ? 6

Husson 010 000 012 ? 4

E?Royce, Estes; LOB?Colby 11, Husson 13; 2B?Brunelle, Deacon; DP?Estes-C. Harvey, J. Harvey-Henderson-C. Harvey, J. Harvey-C. Harvey; Brunelle-Domestico-Ames 2; S?Domestico, Roy; SB?Brunelle 2, Gibson, Vacca, Brideau

Colby IP H R ER BB SO

Kenney (W, 2-1) 5 4 1 0 1 0

Jacobs 3 2 1 1 6 3

Beitia 0 0 2 2 2 0

Cushman (S, 1) 1 1 0 0 1 2

Husson IP H R ER BB SO

York (L, 2-1) 4 4 4 4 4 0

Green 2 4 1 1 1 1

Tripp 1 0 0 0 1 0

Mathieu 1 3 1 1 0 0

Creek 1 1 0 0 2 2

HBP?Ferguson by Kenney, C. Harvey by Cushman; WP?Green; T? 2:45; ATT?80 (est.)