LYNN, Mass. – The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team (2-0) opened the 2016 season with a doubleheader sweep over Fisher College (8-12) on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action. The Beavers won the first game, 6-4, and then held on for a 2-1 win in the second game.
In game one, Ben Keene (Livermore, Maine/Spruce Mountain) drove home the season's first run with an RBI single in the top of the first inning. Keene line a single to right center, plating Dustin McCrossin (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) from second base.
Fisher tied the game in the bottom of the frame and then jumped out to a 4-1 lead with three runs in the bottom of the third inning.
UMF answered in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. The Beavers generated a run with a bases loaded fielder's choice and then Jimmy Parks(Springvale, Maine/Sanford) closed the gap to 4-3 with an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
The Beavers' offense came through again in the top of the sixth inning with two more runs. After another bases loaded fielder's choice allowed UMF to take a 5-3 lead, the UMF forced a Fisher error with the bases loaded as the game's final run crossed the plate.
Kyle Peterson (Bethel, Maine/Telstar) pitched a gem for the Beavers. The senior hurled six full innings to earn the win. Mark Leahy (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) came in for the save with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.
In the second game, the scoreboard read all zeros until Jordan Croteau (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) cracked a double to left field in the second inning, allowing Grayson Beressi (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) to trot home from third base.
In the fourth inning, UMF doubled its lead to 2-0 with a bases by forcing a Fisher error with the bases loaded.
The Falcons tried to get back in the game in the fifth inning by scoring on a UMF error, but UMF's pitching was too much by only allowing three total hits in game two.
Nate Pushard (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) pitched his first-career complete game by only yielding the three hits and only one run.
UMaine-Farmington plays at Fisher again on Sunday morning with a nine inning game at 11:00 a.m.