BANGOR, Maine — Senior Connor Abood dominated on the mound for Husson University baseball in its 8-2 opening game win of the North Atlantic Conference Championship over SUNY Cobleskill on Thursday. 

Husson (22-14) found itself trailing SUNY Cobleskill (9-23) 1-0 after the Fighting Tigers struck for a run in the first inning following a leadoff double to begin the inning and RBI sacrifice fly. 

However, that would be all Cobleskill could muster against Abood who pitched one of his best games in the Green and Gold. Abood allowed only one hit over his next 6.2 innings pitched, finishing with two hits against for the game and 10 strikeouts. 

After a scoreless bottom of the first inning, the Eagles got the bats going in second, junior Keegan Cyr drove in sophomore Matt Holmes on a sacrifice fly and junior Cam Rendell doubled down the right field line in the third to put Husson ahead 3-1,

Senior Jackson Curtis added to Husson's lead in the third with an RBI single to score Rendell to push the advantage to 3-1. 

The Fighting Tigers managed to keep the Eagles bats in check until the sixth inning when Curtis crushed a ball over the right center field fence for a two-run shot and a 5-1 edge. 

Rendell tallied his second double of the game in the seventh, scoring two runs for a 7-1 lead and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles an eighth insurance run at 8-1. 

SUNY Cobleskill added a solo homerun in the ninth inning, but the damage had been done early has Husson came away with the 8-2 decision allowing only three hits for the game.

Graduate student Alex Smith and junior Allen Wheaton combined for the final 1.1 innings, Smith forced a groundout in the eighth and Wheaton struck out two in the ninth, while allowing one run. 

Curtis finished 3-4 at the plate for the Eagles with three RBIs, while Rendell tallied a 2-4 day with three RBIs. 
Graduate student Akira Warren also posted two hits for Husson, while the Eagles finished with 10 hits, nine walks and three hit by pitches — all three were register by Holmes who reached base in four out of five plate appearances. 

Husson will look to continue momentum on Friday when it battles #3 Thomas College beginning at 11 a.m. with the winner advancing to the NAC championship on Saturday.