KEENE, N.H. 5/9/08 - Third seed University of Southern Maine moved into the championship round of the Little East Conference baseball tournament with an 8-4 win over top seed Keene State College on Friday.

Southern Maine (32-10) will play in the championship round on Saturday (TBA).  Keene State will play the winner of the Eastern Conn. /UMass-Boston game in today's third game.

Sophomore first baseman Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) got the Owls on the board with his solo blast in the second, his 13th of the season.

Southern Maine took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.  Senior right fielder Eddie Skeffington (Everett, Mass.) singled and scored on a wild pitch.  Junior designated hitter Andrew Stacy (Denmark, Me.) had an RBI single and sophomore first baseman Collin Henry (Penobscot, Me.) had a two-run home run, his second of the season.

The Huskies added to their lead in the sixth with junior shortstop Chris Burleson (Portland, Me.) producing an RBI single to make it a 5-1 game.

Freshman designated hitter Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.) opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored a sacrifice fly by senior right fielder Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.).

The Owls got out a huge jam in the top of the eighth. With runners on first and third, freshman pitcher Corey Vogt (Broad Brook, Conn.) came in and struck out a couple of Husky batters.  The final out came when Skeffington was called out trying to come home on a double steal.  

Junior centerfielder Ryan Pike (Saco, Me.) gave USM a 6-2 lead with an RBI double to left in the top of the ninth.  Junior third baseman Ryan Gaffney (Salem, N.H.) added a two-run single to give USM a 8-2 lead.

The Owls got two runs back in the bottom of the inning.  Junior Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) who led off the inning with a bunt single, scored on a balk, and freshman left fielder Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.) had an RBI single.   

Sophomore second baseman Josh Mackey (Danvers, Mass.) had three hits and Henry and Gaffney finished the game with a pair of RBIs for USM.

Doyon, Darak, and sophomore catcher Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.) had two hits each for KSC.

Husky starter junior Tim Therrian (New Portland, Me.) picked up the win to improve his record to 4-2.  He went 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits with a strikeout and four walks.  Junior Chris Burleson came in to notch his third save of the season. He pitched 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts.

Senior Phil Mabey (Williamstown, Mass.) took the loss for KSC. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.  Sophomore Jameson Wentworth (Peabody, Mass.) also hurled for the Owls.