OLD ORCHARD BEACH, ME. -- -- The Apprentice School opened play in the 2010 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships on Monday afternoon with an 8-2 victory over ninth-seeded NHTI-Concord's Community College at The Ballpark.

That win puts the top-seeded Builders into a winners bracket semifinal on Tuesday afternoon  against the winner of the 6:30 pm game on Monday night between fourth-seeded Central Maine Community College and fifth-seeded Penn State Beaver.

NHTI scored a run in the third inning as Luke Merrill's deflected grounder enabled Chris Heney  to score for a 1-0 Lynx lead.

The Builders answered with a four-spot in the bottom of the inning.  Chris Scarola walked and went to second as Ryan Wagner was hit by a pitch.  Following a strikeout and a groundout, Andrew Yonta was hit by a pitch to set up Dory Fields who cleared the bases with a three-run double.  He scored as Chris Kennedy followed with a single for a 4-2 lead.

In the fourth, the Builders scored a pair more as with two outs, Wagner and Josh Tuck were hit by a pitch and both scored on a double by Jonathan Dehoux for a 6-2 advantage.

In the sixth, the Builders scored a pair more as Andrew Yonta reached on a fielders choice to plate Chris Scarola who started with a single.  Fields followed with a RBI single to plate Wagner for the 8-2 lead.

NHTI scored a run in the seventh as Adam Roberts started the inning with a single and scored on a triple from Brian Finnegan.

Kennedy was the leading hitter for the Builders going 3-for-3 with a RBI, while Fields was 2-for-4 with four RBIs.  Dehoux also added a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs to back the complete-game effort of Ethan Halberg.  The freshman from Gloucester struck out six and allowed five hits to pick up his ninth win.

Zack Lemire was the leading hitter for NHTI going 2-for-3 as DJ Hodgdon took the loss allowing eight hits and striking out six.  The Lynx will now play an elimination game at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night.