FARMINGTON, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington (7-12, 4-1) softball team completed their home-opening weekend with a doubleheader split against SUNY Cobleskill (10-12, 2-4) on Sunday in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action. Farmington took game one, 8-2, before dropping game two, 9-0.
Game One; Farmington 8 - SUNY Cobleskill 2
After a scoreless first inning, the Fighting Tigers opened the scoring in the top half of the second. Aliyah Neeser ripped a leadoff triple and scored on a single from Brielle Dixon to make it 1-0.
Farmington answered immediately, pushing across five runs in the bottom half of the second. Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) matched Neeser with a leadoff triple of her own. The next batter, Maddie Pike (Kennebunk, Maine), rocketed a two-run shot over the fence in left to put the Beavers ahead, 2-1.
Farmington's offense continued swinging the bats in the inning as Lisa Truchin (Torrance, Calif.) and Angelina Ventullo (Salem, N.H.) followed Pike's home run with back-to-back singles that chased Cobleskill starting pitcher Jaydaci Chamberlain from the game. Skyler Augustine (Brunswick, Maine) dropped down a SAC bunt, but the throw sailed into right field, allowing Truchin to come around to score and Ventullo to move over to third, with Augustine safe at second and still nobody out. After a Reilly Russell (Windham, Maine) walk loaded the bases, Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine) singled to bring home Ventullo. Emily Collins (Moscow, Maine) followed with an RBI on a fielder's choice as the Beavers opened up a 5-1 lead.
The game stayed 5-1 into the top of the fifth. Neeser stayed hot, ripping an RBI double to right field, bringing home Mackenzie Carver, who had hit a pinch-hit single earlier in the inning.
Farmington got the run back in the bottom half of the fifth on a SAC fly from Truchin, opening up a 6-2 lead.
The Beavers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it an 8-2 game. Russell started the rally with a double down the line in left and then moved over to third on a single from Mayo. Mayo stole second on the next pitch, and the throw skipped into the outfield, allowing Russell to score while Mayo advanced to third. She later scored on an RBI groundout from Collins.
The Beavers got a strong outing from Truchin in the circle, as she tossed a complete game to pick up her third win of the season.
Stat Leaders - Farmington
Lisa Truchin; 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 run
Melissa Mayo; 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run
Maddie Pike; 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, 1 run
Jessica Dow; 1-for-3, 3B, 1 run
Stat Leaders - SUNY Cobleskill
Aliyah Neeser; 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 1 RBI, 1 run
Mackenzie Carver; 1-for-1, 1 run
In the Circle - Farmington
Lisa Truchin (W, 3-1); 7.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
In the Circle - SUNY Cobleskill
Jaydaci Chamberlain (L, 2-2); 1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sam Lawton; 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
Game Two; SUNY Cobleskill 9 - Farmington 0 (5 Innings)
Game two belonged entirely to SUNY Cobleskill. The Fighting Tigers scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back in the run-rule-shortened game. Sammy Fausti led off the game with a walk and then moved quickly to third on consecutive wild pitches. She then scored as Kylie Rattigan reached base on an error.
After an Avery Prievo single, Neeser hit into a fielder's choice that brought home Rattigan to open up a 2-0 lead. The Fighting Tigers continued the big inning, later loading the bases for Lawton, who drew a walk to push the third run across. Carver followed with an RBI single. As the lineup flipped back to the top, Fausti was hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded as the lead swelled to 5-0.
Cobleskill made it 6-0 in the top of the second on an unorthodox play. Neeser and Gabriella Wendelken hit consecutive singles, bringing up Taegan Hart with one out. Hart lined a ball into right field that forced Wendelken to freeze. Farmington right fielder Kytana Williamson (Nobleboro, Maine) came up throwing and threw Wendelken out at second. Neeser got a good read off the bat and was able to score from second as the throw went to second base.
Cobleskill scored three in the third as they opened up a 9-0 lead. After loading the bases with nobody out, Rattigan ripped an RBI single that made it 7-0. Consecutive fly outs to shallow center kept the bases loaded, with Wendelken coming to the plate with two down. Wendelken delivered a two-run single that gave the Fighting Tigers a nine-run lead and pushed the game into run-rule territory.
Offensively, the Beavers were unable to get anything going against Lawton, who was efficient in the circle. Farmington mustered just three singles and never had a runner advance beyond second base.
Stat Leaders - Farmington
Ava Paglianite; 1-for-2
Kytana Williamson; 1-for-2
Natalie Simpson; 1-for-3
Stat Leaders - SUNY Cobleskill
Gabriella Wendelken; 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 run, BB
Mackenzie Carver; 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 run
Avery Prievo; 2-for-4
Kylie Rattigan; 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run
Sammy Fausti; 0-for-0, 2 runs, 3 BB, HBP
In the Circle - Farmington
Melissa Mayo (L, 0-4); 0.2 IP, 5 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Natalie Simpson; 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
In the Circle - SUNY Cobleskill
Sam Lawton (W, 4-6); 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
UP NEXT
The Beavers will be back on the road Thursday, traveling to Standish, Maine, for a non-conference doubleheader with Saint Joseph's College. First pitch of game one is set for 3:00 PM.
