Box Score
HARWICH, Mass.--Western New England's run in the 2013 NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship ended on Saturday with a 7-0 loss to top-seeded Southern Maine in Game 13 at Whitehouse Field.
The fourth-seeded Golden Bears finish their season at 34-13 – the sixth straight time the program has achieved 30-plus wins to extend a school benchmark – after reaching the New England Semifinals.
For Western New England, this afternoon marked the final appearance in a royal blue and gold uniform for the winningest senior class in program history that has won 148 games, captured seven Commonwealth Coast Conference titles, claimed three conference championships, and made four NCAA tournament appearances including the 2011 College World Series and the 2012 New England championship game.
Nationally No. 8/14-ranked Southern Maine (40-8) will play Endicott for the regional championship, after setting a school record for victories in a season against the Golden Bears.
Southern Maine got all the offense it would need in the top of the very first inning, getting five runs on four hits. Forrest Chadwick got the big hit with a two-run double down the left-field line, Troy Thibodeau had a RBI-double to right-center, and Anthony Pisani capped it with a 2-RBI single to right field.
Western New England tried to get some of those runs back in its home half. After Andrew Richards got two groundouts, the Golden Bears got two runners on base as senior
Mike Rubino had an infield single to shortstop and sophomore
Steve Buckley followed with a walk.
Rubino had three hits for the Golden Bears and senior co-captain
Tim Clark and junior
Steve Ambrosino had one apiece. Rubino, who earlier this season became the school's career hits leader, wraps up his collegiate career with 281 hits, which is tied for seventh in NCAA Division III history.
Junior starter
Brendan Nugent (8-2) took the ball on two-days' rest and was charged for five runs on four hits and two walks. Senior
Kevin Jefferis, WNE's third pitcher of the day, went 2-2/3 innings of relief to stretch his scoreless streak in the tournament to six innings. Freshman
Tom Mahoney closed with a perfect 1-2-3 ninth that included two strikeouts.
Richards went the distance to improve his record to 8-2. He allowed just five singles and a walk while striking out one.