APPLETON, Wis. — Junior John Carey hit his second home run of the season leading off the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie, and the University of Southern Maine Huskies went on to defeat the Webster (Mo.) University Gorloks 7-2 on Sunday afternoon in an elimination game of the 2013 NCAA Division III baseball championship tournament at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Huskies (44-9) advanced to the final four and will play the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Monday. UW-Stevens Point played Linfield College in a winners’ bracket game Sunday night. Webster, making its third straight trip to the Division III College World Series, finished the season 37-12.

Carey’s home run sparked a three-run uprising to help make a winner of senior right-hander Ryan Yates of Norway.

Yates (7-1) gave the Huskies a clutch pitching performance, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out two.

Sophomore Andrew Richards, making his record 33rd appearance of the season, came on in relief after Yates walked the leadoff batter in the seventh inning.

Richards got the benefit of double plays in the seventh and eighth innings and worked his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the ninth inning, getting the final two outs on infield pop outs to earn his third save of the season.

Advertisement

After Carey’s homer gave the Huskies a 3-2 lead, senior Tucker White doubled down the left field line, and junior Forrest Chadwick walked. White moved up to third on a fly out, and junior Chris Bernard  walked to load the bases, ending the day for Webster senior staring pitcher Cody Hafeli.

Junior Matt Verrier of Norway lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that delivered White, and senior Anthony Pisani lined a single to right to score Chadwick, giving the Huskies a 5-2 lead.

Southern Maine picked up insurance runs in the eighth, when Chadwick scored on a single by Bernard, and in the ninth when Chadwick walked with the bases loaded after White was intentionally passed for the second time in the tournament.

The Huskies struck first, plating two runs in the third inning.

Pisani stroked a one-out double down the left-field line and scored on rookie Sam Dexter’s two-out single. Dexter would come all the way around on Carey’s double to left center.

Webster tied the game in the fifth with the help of a USM error and some heads up base running.

Advertisement

Juniors Ian Foege and Ryan Hall opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Senior Cody Stevenson laid down a sacrifice bunt that Yates threw past Pisani covering at first, allowing Foege to score from second.

Stevenson tried to take the extra base on the overthrow, but was gunned out at second base by USM junior outfielder Troy Thibodeau. Hall, running all the way from first, beat the relay throw to the plate for the Gorloks’ second run.

Carey went 3 for 5 on the day with a single, double and homer and two RBIs. Carey also extended his hitting streak to 21 games with his first-inning single. Pisani finished 2 for 4 with a single and a double and an RBI. Chadwick, who had four walks in the game, scored twice and had an RBI.

Foege led the Gorloks’ nine-hit attack with three singles. Hall and senior Mike Rainbolt each had two hits. Hafeli (7-3) worked into the sixth inning, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks. He did not record a strikeout.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.