Westfield State Athletics

MANSFIELD, Conn. – The seventh-seeded Husson College baseball team scored six runs in the seventh inning on three hits and five Westfield State College errors to wipe out a one-run deficit and record a 10-3 victory in an elimination game of the 2009 NCAA Division III New England Tournament Thursday afternoon at the Eastern Connecticut State Baseball Stadium.

The win in NCAA play is the first for Husson (32-13) in its second game and moves the Eagles into another elimination game Friday at 10 a.m. against the loser of a late Thursday game between fouorth-seeded WPI and eighth-seeded Babson College. Westfield (23-17) had lost a 6-4 decision to 2008 national champion Trinity College and is eliminated from its eighth NCAA tournament appearance .

Trailing 3-0, the Eagles got two back in the sixth on Tom Crews’ (Bangor, ME) fourth home run of the season, then broke the game open by scoring six times in the seventh to take an 8-3 lead. Husson chased Westfield starter Sean Keane (Brockton, MA) and faced two relievers in the inning. The Eagles had three hits in the inning -- including a two-run single down the left field line – but were also aided by the vie Westfield errors and two hit batters that produced two unearned runs.

Westfield’s four pitchers combined to hit eight batters, three of whom scored.

Freshman righty Nate Adams (Frankfort, ME) went the distance for the sixth time in nine starts this year. Adams (7-2) surrendered only four hits and struck out nine, walking four and hitting a batter. Adams allowed two home runs – but both were solo shots – that helped stake the Owls to a 3-0 lead after four innings. No. 3 hitter Kevin Lyons (Braintree, MA) and cleanup hitter Ben Campell (Easthampton, MA) each hit home runs, with Lyons plating another run with a first-inning sacrifice fly.

Batting eighth in the order, Crews drove in four runs and had three hits, with leadoff hitter Kyle Vanidestine (Bangor, ME) picking up two hits and scoring two runs.