APPLETON, Wis. — The Linfield College Wildcats backed asix-hit, complete-game pitching effort of sophomore right-hander Aaron Thomassen with a 17-hit attack to defeat the University of Southern Maine Huskies 10-1 in a winners’ bracket game of the 2013 NCAA Division III College World Series at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday.

The Wildcats (40-7) move on in the winners bracket to play the winner of the late game between Kean University and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Sunday evening (8:00 p.m. EDT). The Huskies (43-9) will face Webster University (Webster’s Grove, Mo.) in an elimination game on Sunday (1:00 p.m. EDT).

Thomassen (11-2) kept the Huskies off stride throughout the game surrendering five singles and two walks while striking out nine. The only mistake Thomassen made came in the fourth inning when USM junior Forrest Chadwick took him deep for his eighth home run of the season.

The Wildcats came right out of the gate against USM junior left-hander Logan Carman batting around and putting up five runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Tim Richards beat out a chopper to second for an infield single, and sophomore Corey VanDomelem worked Carman for a walk. Junior Nick Fisher singled home the first run. After a lineout, junior Kramer Lindell brought home the second run with another single.

Carman got the second out on a strikeout, but senior Jordan Harlow drove in two runs with a double down the left field line, and senior Kyle Chamberlain followed with the Wildcats fifth hit of the inning to drive in the fifth run and knock Carman from the hill. Carman suffered his first loss of the season after winning 12 games.

The Huskies used nine pitchers behind Carman trying to stem the Wildcats. The ten pitchers used by the Huskies set a championship record for most hurlers used by one team in a game.

Three Huskies picked for all-America first team

APPLETON, Wis. — The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced Thursday evening that University of Southern Maine senior outfielder Tucker White has been named the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III Player of the Year for the 2013 season.

In addition to being named Player of the Year, White and teammates Nick Grady) and Logan Carmanwere named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-America first team. It is the first time in the history of the USM baseball program that three players have received first team All-America honors in the same year.

American East Championship game postponed

ORONO — The 2013 America East Baseball Championship game, between Maine and Binghamton, has been postponed due to the poor weather in Lowell, Mass. and the impending forecast. The game has been rescheduled for Sundayat 2 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.

The winner of Sunday’s game will receive an automatic berth into the 2013 NCAA Baseball Regionals.

Track

Bates’ Pless claims second place in shot put in final NCAA event

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Bates senior David Pless took second place in the shot put on Saturday, only 3½ inches shy of first place, at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships, bringing an impressive close to one of the all-time great careers in the history of Division III track and field and Bates athletics with his 10th career All-America award.

The Bobcats, who earlier this season won both the New England Division III and the ECAC Division III team titles, for the second straight year scored the most points of any New England team at the mee.

Pless’s first attempt of the day traveled a hefty 17.73 meters — still 1.13 shy of his career-best 18.86 (61-10.5). He was remarkably consistent from there, going 17.76 on his second attempt and 17.47 on his third, entering finals in second place only to Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior Nick Baatz, who was the national runner-up when Pless won his second of three NCAA indoor shot put titles in 2012.

Colby’s relay team takes second in championship final

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Only the home school could stop the Colby College women’s 1,600-meter relay team from a national championship on Saturday night at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

The 1,600 relay team of Emily Doyle Frances OnyilaghaEmily Tolman and Brittney Bell of Poland finished second in the country to Wisconsin-La Crosse in a riveting final at the NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Mules broke the Colby record for the fifth time since May 1 with a clocking of 3 minutes, 44.74 seconds. Colby came into the NCAA meet with a top time of 3:49.98, set at the Open New England Championships.

Colby, starting in lane three, received a solid opening 400 meters from first-year runner Doyle to give the Mules immediate hope for a top-three finish. Onyilagha, a junior, tucked into third place after about 200 meters and stayed that way until her hand-off to first-year Tolman at the line. Tolman quickly made up ground on Wisconsin-La Crosse and St. Thomas, moving past St. Thomas runner Kayla Goeman on the backstretch.

Tolman and Goeman came to the line even, but St. Thomas came out of the hand-off in second.

Bell, Colby’s lone senior on the relay, was able to pass Emily Van Heel on the backstretch but could not catch La Crosse anchor Claire Elliott, who had a fine kick in the final 100 meters.