FARMINGTON – Stellar defense and a pair of sterling complete game pitching performances allowed the University of Maine at Farmington baseball team to sweep a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader from Northern Vermont University-Lyndon on Monday at Hippach Field.
The Beavers posted a 3-2 win in game one of the twinbill behind Riley Bartell’s seven-strikeout performance, and UMF completed the doubleheader sweep with a 2-0 shutout over the Hornets on Aaron Goschke’s five-hit four strikeout effort on the mound.
In game one, UMF (6-17, 4-4 NAC) scored all three of its runs in the second inning, keyed by Hunter LaBossiere’s two-run single to left field. Troy Johnson allowed one run to score earlier in the frame with a base to left field, allowing Tyler Lambert to cross.
The Beavers retired the side in the third and fourth inning, both times through inning-ending double plays.
NVU-Lyndon (7-18, 3-3 NAC) clawed runs back in the fifth and sixth inning, both times with the benefit of UMF errors. The Hornets had the game-tying run on base with one out in the seventh, but pinch runner Dale Ostermann was caught stealing at second for the second out, and EJ Camden struck out to end the game.
Bartell scattered six hits and issued no walks to go with his seven strikeouts.
In game two, the Beavers again combined solid defense with a sparkling pitching effort by Goschke to complete the win. UMF allowed NVU-Lyndon to safely get a base runner as far as third just once in the game, and twice squelched Hornet rallies with inning-ending double plays.
UMF plated its first run in the home half of the first inning on Lambert’s sac fly to right field, scoring LaBossiere. The Beavers’ second run came in the fifth when Jonny Pruett and LaBossiere opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and Bartell’s fielder’s choice grounder to short allowed Pruett to cross and extend UMF’s lead to 2-0.
LaBossiere, Sargent, and Derek Gendreau each had two hits for the Beavers in game two.
UMF baseball returns to action on Wednesday, April 20, when it hosts UMaine-Presque Isle in a NAC doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
