'MANSFIELD, CONN. 5/14/04 - Brandon Brewer (Cumberland, Me.) came home on an error in the eighth inning to score the winning run that gave second seed University of Southern Maine a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over sixth seed Keene State College at the Little East Conference baseball tournament at the ECSU baseball stadium on Friday.
The loss eliminates Keene State (14-23-1) from the tournament, while Southern Maine (30-12-1) goes on to face UMass-Dartmouth in tonight's elimination game. USM's only loss came at the hands of UMass-Dartmouth (6-3) earlier in the tournament. Eastern Connecticut remains the only unbeaten team and will play the winner of the USM/UMD game.
Keene State scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Leading off, Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, Mass.) hit his sixth home run of the season. Justin Hickman (Mont Vernon, N.H.) followed with a double to left center and came home on an RBI single by John Grainger (Keene, N.H.). Tim Kendrick (Middletown, R.I.) singled to left field to score Bill Green (Montgomery, N.Y.).
USM answered in the top of the sixth when Brian Marshall (Danvers, Mass.) cracked a three-run homer to tie the game. Marshall's homer knocked in Joe Ganley (Keene, N.H.), who had singled and Nick Vardaro (Norwood, Mass.), who doubled down the right field line.
The score remained tied at 4-4 until the top of the eighth inning when Brewer led off with a walk and came all the way around first to score the winning on an error by the KSC catcher.
Keene State opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Justin Hickman (Mont Vernon, N.H.). It was his sixth of the season.
Ryan Bourque (Sanford, Me.) tripled to right center and came home on an error by the second baseman to tie the score (1-1).
Rick Stromgren (Keene, N.H.) (3-3) took the loss for the Owls. He scattered seven hits, fanned four, and walked but two in seven innings on the mound.
Tip Fairchild (Monmouth, Me.) gave up five hits, struck out three, walked two, and didn't allow any runs in six innings of relief. He improves to 9-1.
