WATERVILLE, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team opened its 2025 season on Saturday afternoon against Colby College. The Beavers took an early lead in Game 1, but they couldn't hold on, dropping the game 9-6. The Mules' offense exploded in Game 2, cruising to a 26-4 victory to complete the two-game sweep.
Game One
The Beavers got on the scoreboard early, scoring a run in the top of the first when senior Ryan Sargent (Windham, Maine) came around to score on a bases-loaded walk drawn by senior Jonny Pruett (Waterford, Maine). Sargent reached base on a one-out double and moved to third on a single from Nate Coombs (Thomaston, Maine).
The Mules responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. Patrick Shrake led off the inning with an infield single, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a well-executed first-and-third double steal.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the third, when Ryan Grace took Farmington's starting pitcher Aaron Goschke (Gorham, Maine) deep to right field for a two-run home run, giving Colby a 3-1 lead.
The Beavers responded in the top of the fourth with a big inning. Nine-hole hitter Matt Marquis (Monmouth, Maine) led off with a single to right, then quickly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jameson Bloch (Attleboro, Mass.). After Sargent was intentionally walked, Marquis came in to score when Sam Parsell (Newington, Conn.) reached base on an error. Coombs then walked to load the bases. Two batters later, Pruett was hit by a pitch, bringing in Sargent to tie the game at 3. Sophomore outfielder Ike Wrigley (Farmington, Maine) followed with a ball misplayed by the Colby shortstop, allowing two runs to score and giving the Beavers a 5-3 lead.
After a shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, the Mules started to get to Goschke in the bottom of the fifth. Clint Flippo singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Grace was intentionally walked, Tony Silva made the Beavers pay for that decision, blasting a go-ahead three-run home run to give Colby a 6-5 lead.
The Beavers quickly tied the game at 6 in the top of the sixth. Wrigley ripped a two-out double down the right-field line and came around to score on an RBI single from Jayden Meader (Farmington, Maine).
The Mules regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, adding insurance as Myles Gythfeldt, Flippo, and Grace recorded RBI hits to make it 9-6.
Bloch, Coombs, Wrigley, and Marquis all recorded two hits to lead the Beavers. Flippo finished with three hits, while Grace and Silva provided the big hits for the Mules.
Goschke went 4.1 innings, giving up five hits and six earned runs in a no-decision. Senior Chris Albert (Bradley, Maine) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of relief.
Matt Higgins picked up the win for the Mules, pitching two innings, allowing one run on two hits, and striking out two.
Game Two
Game two went the Mules' way right from the start, as their bats stayed hot despite the cold temperatures. In the bottom of the first, Flippo reached base on a one-out infield single to short and was quickly driven home on a single from Grace. Grace came around to score on an error, and Kai Aoki added an RBI double later in the inning, making it 3-0 Colby after one.
The Mules' offense exploded for five hits and six runs in the bottom of the second, chasing Farmington's Game 2 starter Will Harriman (Biddeford, Maine) after just 1.1 innings. Shrake delivered a two-RBI triple, Silva added an RBI double, and Gythfeldt and Flippo also recorded RBI knocks in the inning.
Marquis laced a triple in the top of the third and came around to score on an error as Farmington got on the scoreboard for the first time.
Colby tacked on four more runs in the third, seven in the fourth, one in the fifth, and five in the sixth as their offense showed no signs of slowing down.
Farmington's offense mustered three runs in the top of the sixth on just one hit. Benjamin Mello (Gloucester, Mass.) recorded the hit, while Andrew Skory (Peabody, Mass.), Greyson Bell (Las Vegas, Nev.), and Paul Vachon (Brookline, N.H.) each drove in a run.
The Mules pounded out 21 hits in total, with seven different players recording at least two hits, four players driving in at least three RBIs, and six players scoring three or more runs.
Marquis led the Beavers with two hits and a run scored. Sargent, Coombs, and Mello also had hits for Farmington.
Thomas Rioux picked up the win for Colby, tossing four innings, allowing just one unearned run, and striking out eight.
