April 24, 2009
Box Score
GORHAM, ME - Sophomore starting pitcher Andrew LeBrun (Stoneham, MA) fired a six-hit shutout and struck out seven to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team over number one nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine, 5-0, today in a Little East Conference game at USM Baseball Field in Gorham, ME. The Beacons victory is their first ever over a team ranked number one in the nation and ends the Huskies' 17-game win streak, dating back to March 31 when they dropped a 7-4 decision to Bowdoin College. UMass Boston is also the first team to shut out Southern Maine since May 3, 2007 when it fell to Babson, 2-0, and the only team this season to hold it under four runs in a game. The Beacons, who were edged by USM, 13-12 on April 10 this season, improve to 14-18 overall and 6-4 in LEC play, while the Huskies, who are ranked number one in this week's D3Baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll and number three in the American Baseball Coaches Association survey fall to 28-4 and 10-2.
After working his way out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the bottom of the first inning, LeBrun settled in to limit the potent Husky line-up to just six hits over nine innings to earn his second straight complete-game victory and first collegiate shutout. He has not allowed a run in his last 17 1/3 innings pitched for UMass Boston and becomes the first UMB hurler to register a shutout since Nick Conway (2005-08) blanked Eastern Connecticut State University on March 31, 2006. The southpaw allowed six walks on the day, while improving to 3-3 on the season.
The Beacons scored the first run of the day in the top of the fourth inning when sophomore shortstop Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) reached on a one-out infield single and senior designated player Eric Salvador (Middleboro, MA) followed with a single through the left side. Both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and Noonan later scored on a two-out wild pitch to give UMB a 1-0 edge.
UMass Boston added four insurance runs in the seventh when freshman right fielder Ty Buccetti (Wallingford, CT) doubled to right center and freshman center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) traded places with him with a double to center field to give the Beacons a 2-0 lead and tie the single-season school-record for doubles at 15 and break the season school-record for hits by a freshman with 53 to eclipse teammate Tim Fontaine's (Worcester, MA) mark of a year ago. UMass Boston increased its lead to 3-0 on a one-out Noonan single up the middle and took a 5-0 advantage when Salvador followed with a two-run blast off the scoreboard in left field for his second home run in six days.
Southern Maine was unable to score in the three subsequent innings and stranded 13 runners on the day.
Freshman starting pitcher Ryan Yates (Norway, ME) (1-1) suffered the loss for the Huskies, allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings.
McCormack, Noonan, Salvador, Fontaine and Buccetti all collected a pair of hits on the day for the Beacons, while Noonan extended his single-season school-standard for being hit by a pitch to 18. Senior Chris Burleson (Portland, ME) went 2-2 with three walks to reach base five times for Southern Maine, while sophomore right fielder Mike Eaton (Sabattus, ME) was 2-3.
UMass Boston will be in action again tomorrow when it hosts Eastern Connecticut State University in a noon Little East Conference doubleheader at Yetten Field in Waltham, MA, while the Huskies host Rhode Island College tomorrow at noon as well.
