BANGOR – Husson College’s Braves knocked half a run off their team earned run average in their home openers Tuesday against the University of Maine-Presque Isle.

That’s because Mark Hreben, Jason Littlefield, and Eric Murray blanked the Owls on five hits as the Braves swept 8-0 and 15-0. The second game was called after 4 1/2 innings due to the 10-run rule.

Husson, which lowered its ERA from 6.02 to 5.51, is now 9-12, while UMPI fell to 0-7.

“We were talking in Florida and I thought our pitching staff could start dominating games up north,” said Husson Coach John Kolasinski. “Our pitchers are getting better every time out.”

In the opener, junior righthander Hreben, a Norridgewock native, overcame early control problems to three-hit the Owls over five innings. He struck out 11 and walked six while throwing 56 strikes among his 104 pitches.

Littlefield, a freshman righty from Brooks, finished with two innings of one-hit, three-strikeout relief.

In the nightcap, former Bangor High School righty Murray pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts and two walks over his five-inning stint. Murray found the strike zone 51 times with his 80 pitches.

Hreben pitched out of a second-and-third, nobody-out jam in the first inning of the opener thanks to two strikeouts, and he survived three walks in the second inning as catcher Jeff Fogg aided him by picking off a runner at second.

“I couldn’t find my rhythm at first. But I pitched better once I settled down in the third inning or so. That pickoff picked me up a little,” said Hreben, who added that he spotted his fastball well beginning in the third inning and his curve was one of his best of the season.

“He had a good fastball and good location. He jammed people,” said UMPI right fielder-third baseman Chris Jordan.

“He threw hard and mixed his pitches up well,” said UMPI catcher Willie Rivera.

Husson scored single runs in the first and second innings and broke the game open with four third-inning runs off starter and loser Mark Holmquist.

They got an unearned run in the first on an error, Troy Martin’s single, a passed ball, and Matt Alaimo’s two-out double over left fielder Randy Gartley’s head produced the second-inning run.

The third-inning rally featured Sandy McCuaig’s leadoff single, John Novak’s RBI double, Martin’s run-scoring triple, Mike McBride’s sacrifice fly, and Chris Hashey’s run-scoring single.

David Hamel had three of the four UMPI hits.

In the nightcap, Murray was in complete command.

“I haven’t pitched in seven days, so I thought I’d be strong,” said Murray, who surrendered only a fifth-inning double to Rivera.

“He had a good fastball and a good curve,” said UMPI left fielder Gartley.

Husson gave Murray a cozy cushion by scoring 10 runs in the first inning, all with two outs. Only two of the those runs were earned.

A walk, a Martin single, and three consecutive walks produced the first two runs off loser Ron McAtee.

However, Gartley dropped Jason Parks’ two-out fly ball to left and three runs scored. Alaimo and Martin added run-scoring doubles and McCuaig singled in a run.

“I didn’t pick up the ball at first, and then I overran it,” said Gartley, who was looking into a tough sun.

Martin had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. John McCarty also had two hits for Husson.

Braves 8, Owls 0 (First Game)

UMPI Husson

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hamel, cf 4 0 3 0 McCuaig, ss 4 1 1 0

Barnes, 2b 3 0 0 0 Novak, 2b 3 2 1 1

Shields, 3b-ss 4 0 0 0 McCarty, 2b 0 1 0 0

Holmqut,p-1b 3 0 1 0 Martin, lf 4 1 2 1

Cantelle, ss-p 3 0 0 0 McBride, rf 3 1 1 1

Rivera, c 2 0 0 0 Swift, 1b 3 0 1 1

Gartley, lf 2 0 0 0 Boure, 1b 1 0 1 0

Van Oesen,1b 2 0 0 0 Peary, dh 2 2 1 0

Jordan, rf-3b 2 0 0 0 Hashey, 3b 3 0 1 1

Fogg, c 1 0 0 0

Shaw, c 2 0 1 0

Alaimo, cf 2 0 1 1

a-Brigalli 0 0 0 0

Totals 25 0 4 0 Totals 28 8 11 6

a-courtesy runner for Fogg, Shaw

UMPI 000 000 0 – 0

Husson 114 011 x – 8

E – Barnes, Rivera, Shields, McCuaig 2B – Alaimo, Novak, McBride 3B – Martin LOB – UMPI 10, Husson 9 SB – McCuaig, Martin, Hamel S – Hashey SF – McBride

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

UMPI

Holmquist (L, 0-2) 5 10 7 6 2 2

Cantelle 1 1 1 0 2 0

Husson

Hreben (W, 2-0) 5 3 0 0 6 11

Littlefield 2 1 0 0 0 3

HBP – Peary (by Holmquist) WP – Holmquist PB – Rivera 2, Fogg TIME -2:04

Braves 15, Owls 0 (Second Game)

UMPI Husson

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hamel, cf 2 0 0 0 McCuaig, ss 4 1 1 1

Barnes, 2b 1 0 0 0 Novak, 2b 1 2 1 0

Shields, 3b-ss 1 0 0 0 McCarty, 2b 2 2 2 0

Holmquist, 1b 2 0 0 0 Martin, lf 2 2 2 1

Cantelle, ss-p 2 0 0 0 Anderson, lf 2 1 1 0

Rivera, c 2 0 1 0 McBride, rf 2 0 0 0

Jordan, rf-3b 2 0 0 0 Williams, rf 1 0 0 0

Gartley, lf 2 0 0 0 Swift, 1b 2 3 1 0

Labrie, dh 2 0 0 0 Boure, dh 1 1 1 1

Sibley, dh 1 0 0 0

Hashey, 3b 2 1 1 2

Parks, c 2 1 0 0

Alaimo, cf 1 1 1 1

Brigalli, cf 2 0 0 1

Totals 16 0 1 0 Totals 25 15 11 7

UMPI 000 00 – 0

Husson (10)12 2x – 15

E – Gartley, Rivera, McAtee 2B – Rivera, Alaimo, Martin, Anderson LOB – UMPI 3, Husson 6 SB – Barnes

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

UMPI

McAtee (L, 0-3) 4 2/3 11 15 5 5 1

Cantelle 1/3 0 0 0 0 1

Husson

Murray (W, 1-2) 5 1 0 0 2 11

HBP – Swift (by McAtee), Boure (by McAtee) PB – Rivera TIME -1:49