DANBURY, Conn. - Junior first baseman Jake Babon (Southington, Conn.) belted a grand slam home run in the top of the seventh inning and the Western Connecticut State University baseball team held on to capture the opener against #11 University of Southern Maine, 9-6 at Westside Field on Saturday.  The doubleheader between the two clubs was canceled on Friday so WestConn were officially the visiting team on the scoreboard.

"We have to be happy with the way we battled all day," stated assistant coach Chris Arconti.  "To take a game from the 11th ranked team in the nation, then have a lead late in the nightcap, shows that we are going to give everything we have day in and day out."

The Colonials, which earned the split  of the twinbill and are now 1-3 overall and in league action, scattered eight hits and took advantage of three unearned runs to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the second frame.  Senior Moe Echevarria (Norwalk, Conn) registered a two-RBI single to give the hosts an early lead.

Logan Terry (Ellington, Conn.) laced a double to center field to plate Zach Edwards (Seymour, Conn.) and Max Gregory (Jewitt City, Conn.) to give WestConn at 5-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning.

Southern Maine's Cam Seymour (Saco, Me.) pulled the Huskies with in a pair of runs with a two-run blast in the bottom half of the sixth.

Babon's base-emptying shot gave enough of an advantage as USM scored another run in the seventh and a pair of runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning.

Mike Hendler (Purchase, N.Y.) earned the win and is now 1-1 on the year.  He allowed four runs on 11 hits, struck out three and walked one over six and a third innings.  Michael Kolf (Brookfield, Conn.) came on with the bases loaded earned the save after retiring the Huskies three fly outs in the final inning.

USM's offense was led by Sam Troiano (South Portland, Me.), Andrew Olszak (Danvers, Mass) and Arlo Pike (Buxton, Me.) each had three hits as the Huskies registered 15 hits in the opener.

Ben Lambert (Saco, Me.) suffered the loss after allowing five runs, only one of them earned, on five hits over six innings.  He struck out 10 and walked two.

The Huskies, now 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Little East Conference, comeback in the second game was capped off with a walk-off solo home run by Tom Vososky (Colchester, Vt.) in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-6 victory.  It was his first career home run.

After Southern Maine scored a run in each of the first three innings, the Colonials too a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning.  Three of the runs were unearned. 

Edwards went 2-for-3 with an RBI and one runs scored in the nightcap.  Terry went 1-for-4, scored two runs and drove in the loss.

Freshman righty Bryce Afthim (Windham, Me.) improves to 3-0 on the season after coming on in relief of starter Gage Feeney (Culter, Me.) in the fifth.  Afthim allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out seven and walking two.

Kyle Brelling (Bethel, Conn.) was saddled with the loss after yielding Vososky's homer that broke a 6-6 tie.  Starter Justin Grullon (Washington Heights, N.Y.) had a stellar outing for the Colonials.  He struck out eight and walked one over seven innings.

"That was great performance by Justin (Grullon)," added assistant Dan Krot.  "If we get that grittiness this year, we will be alright."

WestConn plays host to UMass Boston on Wednesday, April 14 at 3 pm.  The Huskies meet the Beacons a day earlier in Beantown.