Baseball completes twinbill and series sweep of Colby-Sawyer

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Pitcher Joe Sullivan tossed a six-hitter, Saturday, helping the University of Maine at Farmington to a double header sweep over Colby-Sawyer, in a North Atlantic Conference baseball action at Leahy Field, Bates College. (Bulldog Sports photo)
Pitcher Joe Sullivan tossed a six-hitter, Saturday, helping the University of Maine at Farmington to a double header sweep over Colby-Sawyer, in a North Atlantic Conference baseball action at Leahy Field at Bates College. (Bulldog Sports photo)

By Pete Lefresne
UMF Sports Information Director

LEWISTON – The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team completed a regular season series sweep of North Atlantic Conference foe Colby-Sawyer College by taking a doubleheader off the Chargers on Saturday at Leahey Field on the Bates College campus . The Beavers posted a 5-3 win in the first game of the twinbill, and completed the sweep with an 8-5 victory in the nightcap.

Not only did Farmington improve to 8-18 overall, 7-9 in the NAC, but the Beavers recorded their first regular season series sweep of a NAC opponent since the league adopted the four-game series format in 2009.

Colby-Sawyer fell to 4-18 overall, 1-9 in conference play, with Saturday’s two losses.

Farmington rode the pitching of junior Joe Sullivan to the game one victory. Sullivan scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run, improving to 3-2 on the season.

The Beavers held a 3-0 lead through three innings in game one, after sophomore Tom Grady plated two runs on a single into left field in the first inning and sophomore Jimmy Neal’s RBI single to left in the third.

Colby-Sawyer plated an unearned run in the fourth inning amidst one Charger hit and three Beaver errors. Nathan Frongillo got aboard with a one-out single to short, stole second and advanced to third on an ensuing error at shortstop, and then scored on yet another error at short. Another unearned run crossed in the fifth, cutting the Beaver lead to 3-2, when Alex Fredette sacrificed home Kyle Greenwood, who reached on a leadoff error at short.

UMF scored the game winning runs in the bottom of the fifth with three hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly, including an RBI double down the left field line by Grady.

Colby-Sawyer strung together three hits in the sixth to score one run on Rob Wallace’s RBI single to left center, cutting the margin to 5-3, but the Chargers went down quietly in the seventh to give the Beavers the win.

Grady finished with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate in game one with three runs batted in.

Frongillo posted a pair of hits for the Chargers. Alex Drost yielded five runs, four earned, on seven hits and three walks and was charged with the loss.

In game two, Farmington built an 8-1 lead over the first six innings, only to see Colby-Sawyer plate four runs in the top of the seventh before the Beavers could escape with the 8-5 victory.

The Beavers posted a pair of runs in the second and tacked on a single run in the fourth, before finally taking charge with a three-run fifth inning.

Dustin McCrossin and Neal got aboard with singles and Grady plated the first UMF run with a double to right field. Freshman Jordan Croteau followed up with a single through left side that scored Neal, and senior Brett Wallingford’s fielder’s choice grounder to third allowed Grady to cross.

Farmington extended its lead to 8-1 with two runs in the sixth on three hits and a wild pitch, before the Beavers let command of the game get away from them in the seventh.

Three straight singles by TJ O’Connor, Justin Devoid, and pinch hitter Jake Szulak loaded the bases for the Chargers, and Brett Emmertz plated one run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Frongillo’s two-out single loaded the bases up again for Colby-Sawyer, and Andy Lapple plated all three runners with a double into the gap in left-center.

The Beavers got out of the inning when sophomore pitcher Kyle Peterson induced a grounder to short by Wallace to close out the win.

Peterson allowed 11 hits and five earned runs in the complete game victory, improving his record to 2-2 overall. Colby-Sawyer starter PJ Singster lasted five-and-a-third innings, giving up seven earned runs on 14 hits with two strikeouts in the loss.

Frongillo finished 3-for-4 at the plate in game two for Colby-Sawyer, while Lapple was 2-for-4 with three RBI. McCrossin and Neal each had three hits for the Beavers in the second game of the twinbill.

Farmington returns to action on Monday, April 21, when it faces Colby College in a single nine-inning contest.

University of Maine at Farmington designated hitter, Jimmy Neal, pounded out four hits and two RBI, Saturday helping the Beavers defeat Colby-Sawyer, 5-3 and 8-5. Neal is a Mt. Blue graduate. (Bulldog Sports photo)
University of Maine at Farmington designated hitter, Jimmy Neal, pounded out four hits and two RBI, Saturday helping the Beavers defeat Colby-Sawyer, 5-3 and 8-5. Neal is a Mt. Blue graduate. (Bulldog Sports photo)
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