Dueling pitchers struck chords Saturday April 13, in game one of two played at Panther Field, as the PSC Panthers hosted the Huskies from the University of Southern Maine. Veteran Panther pitcher, senior Nate Provencher and Husky senior, Ryan Adams duked it out from the muggy mound, as both teams were scoreless into the fifth inning. In the end Provencher struck out eight, but the Huskies came out ahead scoring two to win the game.
The Huskies threatened early in the first, loading the bases with no outs. But Provencher demonstrated his pitching technique, forcing a double play ball to end the inning. Freshman Panther, Derek Guimond, started the bottom of the first with a lead off double, and things looked promising. However, a fielder choice caught Guimond at third, and junior Matt Price flied to right field for the final out.
The Panthers threatened again in the bottom of the third, when senior Jon Albertini drew a walk from Adams with two outs. Junior Scott Hodsdon hit a loop single into shallow left center, advancing Albertini to third base. Price grounded to short stop, and the Huskies got Hodsdon with the force at second to end the inning.
After the Huskies scored one in the top of the fifth, the Panthers tried to retaliate. Junior Sy Tebbetts got a lead off single, and Freshman Matt Gabellieri drew a walk. With two men on and no outs, Guimond hit a high line drive, which was snagged by the leaping glove of the Huskies’ second baseman, and caught Tebbetts trying to get back to second. The inning ended as Gabellieri was picked off trying to steal second.
The Huskies scored one more off Provencher in the top of the ninth with a solo shot to right field by #23, Craig Gurreckis. The Panthers didn’t give up, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, and the bases loaded, Junior Matt Salokangas was brought in to pinch hit for sophomore Jay Morgan. But Salokangas hit into a double play, grounding to Huskies pitcher Ryan Adams, who got the force at home and then Salokangas at first.
Both teams took a twenty-minute break, which turned into forty minutes, as the light drizzle turned into a steady rain, forcing the Panthers to cover the mound and home plate. Once the rain subsided, the Panthers took the field with sophomore Jay Morgan on the mound. Morgan, however, would not be working alone, as he received some offensive help early in the game.
With Albertini at second and Price at first, Junior Jay Zinis stepped to the plate against Husky Sophomore Jason Thibodeau. Zinis wasted no time and spanked a three run homer to right field on the first pitch, his fifth home run of the season.
The Huskies got on the board in the top of the third with a solo shot over the 345 marker by #7 Andy Lang. After 10-minute rain delay, the Panthers, up 3-1, witnessed another dramatic performance by Zinis. This time Zinis drove in Hodsdon and Price with a three run blast over the right field fence, improving his record to six homers for the year.
The score remained 6-1 Panthers into the fifth, when the Huskies scored two more to come within three. The Huskies then dominated the top of the sixth scoring five runs on four hits, and taking the lead 6-8.
The Panthers did not give up. In the bottom of the seventh, Price drew a walk from Thibodeau, which brought Zinis to the plate. Zinis, 4 for 4 on the day, had to wait as the Huskies replaced Thibodeau with #33 Christian Boileau. The change did little good for the Huskies, as Zinis crushed a double to deep left center, scoring Price, and bringing the Panthers within one. Tebbetts followed with a single to the gap in left center, advancing Zinis to third.
The Huskies made another pitching change, this time bringing in #31 Justin Andrews to face Morgan. Morgan hit a sacrifice RBI bunt down the first base line to score Zinis and tie the game. The game was called at the end of 7 complete innings due to heavy rain.