PLYMOUTH, N.H. - The University of Southern Maine tagged Plymouth State University pitchers for 31 runs on 32 hits Saturday afternoon en route to sweeping a Little East Conference doubleheader, 20-5 and 11-2, in the first home games of the season at Panther Park.

           The Huskies brought their big bats with them, rapping out 22 hits in the opener.  They scored at least a run in each of the first five innings of the opener, including seven runs in the fifth inning to take a 15-3 lead and put the game away.

           Junior Ryan Pike (Saco, Maine) led the onslaught in the opener, slugging a pair of home runs among his four hits and four RBI.  Junior Ryan Gaffney (Salem, N.H.) has three hits and four RBI, including his first home run, and freshman Jordan Berthiaume (Berlin, Conn.) also homered for the Huskies.  Junior Andrew Stacy (Denmark, Maine) was 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored, and sophomore Josh Mackey (Danvers, Mass.) went 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored.

           Senior Brandon Hodge (Bradford, Vt.) and junior Nick Englert (North Woodstock, N.H.) collected three hits apiece for PSU, Hodge clouting his fourth home run of the season and Englert contributing an RBI triple and a ninth-inning double.

           Senior Adam Ross (Spruce Head, Maine) earned the victory for USM, working seven innings and allowing eight hits and one earned run while striking out nine.  Junior Taylor Ketchum (Fairhaven, Mass.) started and took the loss for PSU.

           The Huskies plated four runs in the second inning of the nightcap and never looked back, putting up six more runs in the middle innings.  The Panthers managed single runs in the first and third innings on RBI singles by freshman Seth Labossiere (Lincoln, R.I.), but couldn't push any more runs across the plate against Husky pitchers.

           Stacy, Gaffney, Berthiaume and senior Eddie Skeffington (Everett, Mass.) had two hits apiece for USM in the nightcap, with Stacy and Gaffney driving in two runs each.  Freshman Mike Eaton (Sabattus, Maine) knocked in three runs for the visitors.

           Junior Tim Therrian (New Portland, Maine) was the winning pitcher in the second game for USM, pitching seven innings and giving up four hits and four walks while fanning seven.  Senior Chip Hale (Londonderry, N.H.) started and worked six innings for the Panthers, taking the loss.

           PSU, 6-20 overall and 2-8 in the LEC, is back at Panther Park on Monday for a non-conference doubleheader against Lyndon State College (2:00 p.m.), while USM, 19-8 overall and 6-2 in the Little East, hosts Wheaton College in a single game on Sunday (1:00 p.m.) 

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