WENHAM, Mass. – The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team allowed 12 runs over the third and fourth innings as Wentworth Institute of Technology dispatched the Beavers 17-3 in non-conference action this afternoon at Gordon College.
The Beavers (0-2) are idle until they open North Eastern Athletic Conference East Division play with a doubleheader at Husson next Saturday. Wentworth (5-3) opens The Commonwealth Coast Conference play tomorrow with a doubleheader versus Colby-Sawyer at Dartmouth College.
Senior Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook,CT) belted a pair of two-run home runs to become the 10th player in program history to reach the 100-hit plateau, while sophomore Justin Bolla (Newburyport, MA) was 4-for-4, and senior Mo Gardner pitched seven strong innings for Wentworth.
The host Leopards broke the game open in the third inning by putting seven runs up, aided by senior Anthony Carbone (Goshen, CT) hitting an RBI double, while juniors Doug Papuga (Branford, CT) and Mike Diodato (Asbury, NH), as well as Bolla each had RBI singles. Alex Wong (Lewiston, ME) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and the Leopards plated two more runs coming on an error and a passed ball.
Farmington plated a run in the top of the fourth when Russ Schmelzer (Winthrop, ME), who led off with a single, scored on an RBI groundout by Matt Levine (Pelham, NH). However, Wentworth countered with five more in the bottom of the inning, which included Oggeri's first home run of the game, a sacrifice fly by Carbone, and a two-run single from Papuga. The fifth inning saw the Leopards tally another run to increase the lead to 13-1 on a solo home run from Diodato.
Schmelzer scored on a groundout in the sixth to make it a 13-2 game before Wong delivered a two-run single and Oggeri collected his 100th career hit with his second two-run blast of the game to up the score to 17-2 in the home half of the inning. Brian Hawthorne (Detroit, ME) rounded out the scoring for the day when he scored on a Levine groundout in the top of the eighth inning.
Gardner improved to 2-0 on the season as he allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on three hits, while walking one and striking out six.Brandon Gallagher (North Yarmouth, ME) was tagged for the loss (0-1) as he allowed seven runs (four earned) on six hits, while walking one and striking out three.
Diodato finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Wong and Papuga each drove in three runs. Schmelzer led Farmington by going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while Levine drove in a pair of runs.
