STANDISH – Husson College righthander James Gray of Corinth didn’t find out he was going to pitch against Castleton (Vt.) State in the Eagles’ North Atlantic Conference baseball tournament opener until 2 p.m. Friday.

Husson coach John Winkin had intended to throw freshman Anthony DeRosa but changed his mind.

Gray tossed a complete-game five-hitter, working out of several jams, and Jason Harvey belted a two-run double in the decisive three-run fifth inning as Husson rallied past Castleton State 4-2 at Larry Mahaney Diamond in Ward Park.

Winkin had planned to start DeRosa, but was concerned rain showers might postpone the game and the Eagles would lose a start from DeRosa.

Second seed Husson (26-14) plays No. 1 Saint Joseph’s (31-8-1) in today’s 2 p.m. winners’ bracket game. Castleton State (21-18) faces Thomas College of Waterville (15-22) in the 10 a.m. elimination game.

The teams with one loss play at 6 p.m. Saturday with Sunday’s championship round scheduled to start at noon.

Saint Joseph’s used a 15-strikeout two-hitter from NAC Player of the Year Charlie Furbush to beat Thomas 4-0 earlier in the day. Furbush also homered, singled, drove in a run and scored twice.

Husson benefited from sloppy fielding by the Spartans as all four runs were unearned. Castleton State made five errors, including three in the fifth that led to Husson’s three runs.

“Husson is a very good team and you can’t give good teams extra outs. It’ll come back to hurt you,” said Castleton State coach Ted Shipley. “Their kid [Gray] pitched a great game. He kept us off-balance and located. He worked his way out of jams. He did a nice job.”

Gray gave up four hits and both runs in the first three innings before settling down and holding the Spartans to one infield hit the rest of the way.

The junior struck out seven, walked three and hit three batters.

“It took me a while to get loose,” said Gray, who threw 72 strikes among his 118 pitches. “But once I did, I was all right. I felt a lot better the last four or five innings. My slider was my out pitch. I started spotting my fastball later in the game. I just threw it instead of aiming it. And I got a lot of my strikeouts with my changeup.”

Harvey said it was “great to see [Gray] battle the way that he did. He has done it all year long.”

Castleton State freshman lefty Jeremy Gilcris pitched a gem but was victimized by his defense. He struck out six, didn’t walk anybody and allowed eight hits.

Gilcris is the only pitcher to have beaten Saint Joseph’s in NAC play this season.

“He pitched a great game. He kept us off-balance with his curve,” said Harvey. “We were out in front and swinging at pitches in the dirt. They made a few errors and we capitalized.”

Husson’s fifth-inning rally began with a strikeout but Jeff Miller reached first when first baseman Shawn Horvath dropped catcher Ryan Bouck’s throw to first.

Horvath lost the ball in the sun, something he had done earlier in the game.

Danny White sacrificed Miller to second and Justin Spencer reached when shortstop Tim Zorio bobbled his grounder.

Harvey then ripped a 1-2 pitch to right-center to deliver both runners. Harvey had struck out on three pitches in his previous at-bat.

“He threw me a pitch over the outer half of the plate, I think it was a changeup, and instead of trying to pull it like I did in my previous at-bat, I went with it and drove it to the right-center-field gap,” said Harvey.

“It was a good pitch to hit.”

One out later, Chris McInnis plated Harvey with a line single off the top of the glove of the leaping Castleton State second baseman Anthony DiPietrantonio.

“He threw me a fastball on the outside corner and I hit it where it was pitched,” said McInnis.

Gray pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth by striking out Horvath, and he retired eight of the final nine hitters he faced.

Bouck’s first-inning sacrifice fly and DiPietrantonio’s RBI single in the third staked Castleton State to a 2-0 lead.

Husson got one back in the fourth on singles by McInnis and Adam Sheehan and a throwing error on DiPietrantonio, who was trying to turn a double play.

Husson played errorless ball and turned two double plays, including one to end the game.

McInnis made a great diving catch in right to rob Bouck leading off the sixth.

White, McInnis and Sheehan had two hits each for Husson and Chris Ragis had two hits for the Spartans.

(First Game)

Thomas (15-22) 000 000 000 – 0 2 2

St. Joseph’s (31-8-1) 010 020 10x – 4 10 0

Rulman and Sands; Furbush and Rodden, Wood (8)

(Second Game)

Castleton (21-18) 101 000 000 – 2 5 5

Husson (26-14) 000 130 00x – 4 8 0

Gilcris and Bouck; Gray and McGinley