Eagles post two victories in NAC tourney Finals helped Harvey focus

loading...

STANDISH ? Husson College junior shortstop Jason Harvey said being immersed in final exams and taking a few days off from baseball this week was beneficial.

“I was able to relax and get refocused,” said Harvey, whose two-run first-inning homer, triple and single helped lead the Eagles to a 12-1 victory over Castleton State in their loser’s bracket game at the North Atlantic Conference tournament Thursday. Husson then advanced to the championship game by beating Becker 8-2 in the nightcap after Saint Joseph’s sent Becker into the elimination round with a 6-0 victory.

“I waited for good pitches and drove them,” said Harvey, who had been mired in a late-season slump.

Harvey drove in three runs and scored four times. He also made several nice defensive plays.

“That’s the best game I’ve ever seen Jason played. He did everything well,” said Husson coach John Winkin.

The win improves to Husson to 25-15 and into today’s 10 a.m. championship-round game against St. Joe’s (31-9). The if-necessary game would be at 2 p.m.

Senior first baseman Kyle Mathieu drove in four runs with a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly, and Justin Spencer contributed three singles, three runs scored and an RBI. Aaron Brideau and Adam Sheehan chipped in with two singles each.

Junior righthander Travis Tripp of Bar Harbor threw seven innings of four-hit, one run ball for his seventh win in nine decisions. He didn’t strike out anybody, but induced 11 ground-ball outs. He walked three and threw 63 strikes among his 104 pitches.

“I didn’t have my good stuff, I had to battle and get through it,” said Tripp.

Sam Adolphsen finished up with two scoreless innings.

Tripp’s mates staked him to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Brideau grounded a sharp single to left off losing pitcher Travis Myers and Harvey drilled a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his third homer of the season.

Husson added an unearned run later in the inning.

“He threw me an inside curve and I turned on it,” said Harvey. “I didn’t think it would go out but it kept carrying.”

Harvey’s homer came against a stiff breeze blowing in.

“I hung a curve and he hit out,” said righty Myers. “That was the turning point in the game. I thought I had good stuff. They hit good pitches.”

Husson added three more runs in the third on singles by Harvey, Spencer and Sean Brawn, Mathieu’s sacrifice fly, an error and Sheehan’s RBI infield single.

Mathieu’s first homer of the season, a shot to left-center, extended the lead to 9-0 in the fourth and all but sewed up the win.

“I was looking for a fastball, and he threw me one out over the plate,” said Mathieu. “A lot of guys got in on the effort today. We had our confidence and our bats came alive.”

Chad Phillips had two singles for Castleton State, which finished up 19-23.

In the winner’s bracket game, freshman left-hander Charlie Furbush, the NAC co-player of the year, threw a six-hit masterpiece with 14 strikeouts and no walks as Saint Joseph’s (31-9) advanced to the championship round with its win over Becker.

In the nightcap, Husson earned its first win in four tries against Becker, which beat Husson 6-5 in the first round of the tourney last Friday. The Eagles used timely hitting, solid defense and a gutsy pitching performance from Bob Webber to eliminate the Hawks.

Billy Kane’s two-run opposite field single down the right-field line and Aaron Brideau’s RBI double highlighted a four-run second inning and two-run singles by Brideau and Kyle Mathieu keyed a four-run fourth inning off losing pitcher Ryan Pacyne.

Webber allowed nine hits and both runs, only one earned, over eight innings and was aided by three double plays. He struck out three and walked three.

“All of my pitches were working but I didn’t hit my spots like I usually do, I was getting behind in the counts and I was able to get some pop-flies and ground balls when I needed them.”

“Bob wasn’t as strong as he usually is but he pitched well enough to win,” said Husson coach John Winkin, who was pleased with his team’s performance. “We did everything well. We played the way we are capable of playing offensively, defensively and pitching wise and we did things like turn double plays and move runners along. ”

“We got clutch hits all day long,” added Mathieu.

Mathieu started the second-inning rally with a one-out single and Chris McInnis followed with another base hit. Kane then ripped a one-two pitch inside the first base line to deliver both of them.

“With a two strike count I always assume I’m going to get a fastball, and I was able to place it somewhere good.”

Winkin said Kane’s hit was the catalyst for his team.

Later in the inning Shawn Henderson delivered Kane with a fielder’s choice and Aaron Brideau delivered Adam Shehan, who had singled.

Two walks and Henderson’s sacrifice triggered the fourth-inning rally. Brideau followed with his two run single and Mathieu eventually singled home the last two runs.

“They’re a good team,” said Becker left fielder Kevin Renaud. “They hit the ball really well. They were able to get the clutch hits and make the defensive plays work for them and we didn’t.”