BANGOR, Maine - The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Champions will be decided on Friday afternoon as the Husson University baseball team (21-7) and SUNY Cobleskill (15-8) split a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at the Harold Alfond Diamond. The Eagles won game one, 5-2, and the Fighting Tigers won game two to force game three with a 3-2 victory.

Game 1 - Husson 5, SUNY Cobleskill 2

The Fighting Tigers began the scoring with a run in the first inning. Eddy Garcia took advantage of two Eagle errors, reaching first on a throwing error that scored Nick Thomas.

Tight pitching stifled scoring until River Sisson doubled down the left field line, scoring Jayson Maxwell in the fourth inning to give Cobleskill a 2-0 lead. 

The Eagles would tie the game in the home-half of the fourth inning on a two-run home run off the bat of NAC Senior Scholar Athlete, Chris Ewanik. Husson would then take the lead when Tyler Parke singled to center, scoring Brandon Smith and making the score 3-2.

Great defense in the top of the 6th served as a spark for Husson. Parke threw out a runner at second, then David LeBlanc made an amazing inning-ending diving grab in center. 

Akira Warren notched a sac fly, scoring Parke in the seventh inning. Husson took advantage of another Tiger error in the eighth when David LeBlanc scored on a wild pitch. 

Husson's starting pitcher, Cam Graham (W, 5-1), left the mound after giving up a leadoff single in the ninth inning. He went 8+, with no earned runs, one walk, and six strikeouts.

Ryan Robb came in to relieve Graham and got the job done with the next three batters. Robb earned his fifth save of the season.

Jarrod McWilliams notched his second loss of the season, giving up seven hits and five runs (four earned) in 7.1 innings. He walked one, struckout two, and gave up a home run.

OFF THE BAT

• Ewanik pitched in a two-run blast for the Eagles.
• Maxwell led the Fighting Tigers with two hits and scored a run.
• LeBlanc scored twice and had two hits. 
  
  

Game 2 - Cobleskill 3, Husson 2

Despite being a run down in the bottom of the ninth, the Fighting Tigers scored twice to walk off game two and force tomorrow's winner-take-all game three. 

The Fighting Tigers opened the scoring in the fourth inning as they took advantage of an Eagle error and Nick Thomas was able to score on a RBI-single to center field by Frank Leger. 

The Eagles tied it in the sixth inning when Jackson Curtis singled up the middle and drove in Brandon Smith.

The ninth inning saw the Eagles take the lead as Nick Swift scored on a SUNY Cobleskill throwing error. Kobe Rogerson drove a hard ball to second, which was stopped with a great dive, but the throw was high. Chris Ewanik threatened to extend the lead with a long ball caught at the warning track in center. 

In the bottom of the ninth, the Fighting Tigers loaded the bases with three batters then tied the game on an Eagle fielding error. Maxwell, on the next at bat, scored the winning run on a wild pitch and gave SUNY Cobleskill the 3-2 victory. 

Brandon Brunell started for the Eagles and went five innings as he allowed a run on four hits. Jake Gregoire took over and pitched a two-hitter in three innings of relief. Robb took the loss, giving up two runs in the ninth inning. 

Devin Lewis went over eight innings and allowed two runs on six hits and five walks. Shane Ladden closed out the game by pitching a perfect .2 innings. 

OFF THE BAT

• Warren, Curtis, and Swift each had two hits.
• Thomas had two hits and scored twice for the Fighting Tigers.
• The Eagles left 11 runners on base compared to the Tigers' three. 

UP NEXT! 

The stage is set for tomorrow as the winner of game three at the Harold Alfond Diamond will be declared NAC Champions. After a coin toss, the Eagles were determined to be the home team for the winner-take-all game starting at noon.