FARMINGTON -- The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team held its home opener at Hippach Field today with the Beavers earning a 5-2 and 7-0 doubleheader sweep over the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The Beavers ran their record to 5-10 and are scheduled to host Castleton State College in a key North Atlantic Conference twinbill on Sunday at Hippach Field. The Owls slipped to 3-10.
Farmington received stellar pitching on the afternoon with Bill Ridge (South Portland, ME) notching a complete-game victory in the first contest and Andrew Dean (Gorham, ME) twirling six innings of four-hit ball in the second.
In the opener, UMPI took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by A.J. Pennartz (Birch Harbor, ME), but Farmington followed by scoring at least one run in each of the first four innings to take the win.
Ridge scattered eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in taking the win.
After an RBI double in the first by Farmington's Tyler Hanson (Sanford, ME), the Beavers snatched the lead at 3-2 in the second frame when two errors, a wild pitch and an RBI single by Brian Morrison (Saco, ME) led to a pair of runs. Kyle Shea (Bar Harbor, ME) followed with a sacrifice fly in the third and Russ Schmelzer (Winthrop, ME) had an RBI single in the fourth for the 5-2 final.
Schmelzer rapped a pair of singles in the game and was one of five Beavers to swipe a base in the contest.
David deKay (Hiram, ME) took the loss for the Owls. deKay finished with two walks and three strikeouts in a complete game.
Donald Charette (Millinocket, ME) singled and doubled and Tyler Delaney (Truro, Nova Scotia) singled twice for UMPI .
In the second game, Dean made his collegiate debut on the mound with six walks and five strikeouts in the shutout. Will Griffiths (Mechanic Falls) tossed an inning of scoreless relief in the win.
The Beavers broke the contest open in the third inning with four runs. Leading 1-0, Farmington used an error, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Mike Cummons (Lincolnville, ME) to build the lead to 5-0 en route to the win.
Schmelzer and Hanson each smacked a pair of singles with an RBI in the second game, while Corey Provencher (Rumford, ME) and Phineas Peake (Penobscot, ME) each clubbed a double.
Pennartz took the loss for the Owls as he was hit for five runs over three innings of work. Brandon Boulware (Van Buren, ME) followed with three innings of relief and two runs. The duo walked four and did not strike out a batter.
