BANGOR, Maine – The Husson University baseball team is back on top of the North Atlantic Conference following a 17-7 thumping of Thomas College in the conference title game on Sunday afternoon at the Dr. John W. Winkin Sports Complex.
The victory for the Eagles marks their eighth NAC title since 2009 and their sixth-consecutive title excluding the 2020 season where no tournament was held.
Husson (24-14) broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third inning with a two-RBI single from junior Hunter Curtis, who scored later on a double from senior Ryne Rametta to put the Eagles up 3-0.
Following a two-run inning from Thomas (20-22), H. Curtis struck again after an intentional walk to his brother, graduate student Jackson Curtis, loaded the bases, as H. Curtis lofted what would have been a routine fly ball on any other day, but the wind allowed the ball to carry over the left-center field fence for a grand slam to put the Eagles back up 7-2.
Junior Cam Rendell plated the lone run of the fifth inning for Husson, as he poked a base hit through the left side to score junior Colin Marshall.
The Eagles tallied five runs in the sixth inning, as Rametta posted his second RBI-double of the contest, while Marshall recorded a two-RBI double and J. Curtis registered a two-RBI single, as Husson led 13-2 after six innings.
The Terriers got three runs back in the top of the seventh, but an RBI-groundout from Rametta and a three-RBI double from Rendell in the bottom half of the inning closed the book on the scoring for the Eagles at 17.
Thomas added one run each in the eighth and ninth innings, but Husson's early onslaught was more than enough to earn it another trip to the NCAA tournament.
Rametta finished the day at the plate 4-6, after starting his day with four-straight base-knocks, in addition to three RBIs and one run scored.
H. Curtis posted three hits, including his home run, while also tallying six RBIs, four runs scored and two walks.
Graduate student Akira Warren, Rendell and Marshall each recorded two base hits, while Rendell posted four RBIs and Marshall added two RBIs and three runs scored.
With H. Curtis's grand slam in the fourth inning, the Eagles set a new program record for home runs in a season with their 29th long-ball, breaking the mark set by the 1998 and the 2009 teams.
Graduate student Alex Smith earned the win on the mound and has earned the last two wins in conference championship games for the Eagles, as he fired six innings and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks.
Juniors Allen Wheaton and Tanner Audyatis and senior Connor Abood each hurled a full inning to close out the game.
Rendell, H. Curtis and J. Curtis all earned spots on the all-tournament team, while Abood took home the final spot and the tournament's MVP award.
Husson will now await its regional site, game time and opponents, which will be announced tomorrow at 12 p.m. during the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament selection show.
