LYNDONVILLE, Vermont - The University of Maine at Farmington baseball team trailed by eight runs in the top of the ninth inning but saw its offense explode, hitting a pair of grand slams and erupting for 12 runs in the frame to earn a 16-14 victory in game one of a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader at VTSU Lyndon. Farmington's offense went quiet in game two, however, as the Beavers dropped the contest, 10-1.
Game One; Farmington 16 - Lyndon 14
Despite the final score, the first three innings of play were quiet, with both teams combining for just one hit — a Ryan Alt single for the Hornets in the bottom of the second.
The Beavers were the first to get on the scoreboard after a two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Tyler Rosa (Morgan Hill, Calif.) ripped a two-out single to center before first-year outfielder Lucas Harmon (Monmouth, Maine) blasted the first pitch he saw over the wall in right field to make it a 2-0 game.
Farmington received four strong innings on the mound from junior Trent Holman (Dixfield, Maine), who allowed just one hit while walking one batter before the Hornets broke through in the fifth.
The first three batters reached to open the inning before a bases-loaded walk pushed across Lyndon's first run of the game. Cesar Cisneros followed with a two-run single that made it 3-2 and forced Holman out of the game.
Max Bryan took over for Holman and was immediately met by Sean Dunton, who drove in a pair with a two-run single of his own. Alt and Matt Gonyeau followed with back-to-back RBI singles, and Alt later scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-2 after five innings.
Farmington got two runs back in the sixth as Harmon belted his second two-run home run of the day to cut the deficit to 8-4.
The Hornets continued to hold an 8-4 advantage into the bottom of the eighth. Gonyeau led off the inning with a single and later scored on a single from Aaron LeFrancois. Jeren Harrison was hit by a pitch and later scored on an error to make it a 10-4 game. Dunton recorded another RBI hit later in the inning before Eyon Tembruell added an RBI double that scored Dunton and gave Lyndon a 12-4 lead heading into the ninth.
Farmington wasted no time in the ninth inning. A walk, an error, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out and the top of the lineup due up. Matt Marquis (Monmouth, Maine) hit into a fielder's choice to make it a 12-5 game before Ike Wrigley followed with an RBI single to make it a six-run game. After another walk loaded the bases, Brady Vincent (Auburn, Maine) crushed a grand slam to right field to cut the deficit to 12-10 with still just one out.
Following Vincent's home run, Rosa doubled and Harmon singled to put runners on first and second. A fielder's choice resulted in the second out of the inning, but the Beavers still had runners on the corners while trailing by two. Colby Lewis (Blue Hill, Maine) delivered an RBI single to left to make it a one-run game.
After another walk loaded the bases, Marquis was hit by a pitch to tie the game at 12-12. Farmington then capped off the monster inning with its second grand slam as Wrigley launched his first home run of the season to give the Beavers a 16-12 lead.
The Hornets made some noise in the bottom of the ninth as Cisneros recorded an RBI single and Dunton drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, but Jameson Bloch (Attleboro, Mass.) limited the damage and helped the Beavers secure the dramatic win.
Stat Leaders - Farmington
Lucas Harmon: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 runs
Ike Wrigley: 2-for-5, HR, 5 RBIs, 2 runs, HBP
Tyler Rosa: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 runs
Brady Vincent: 1-for-5, HR, 4 RBIs, 1 run
Stat Leaders - VTSU Lyndon
Sean Dunton: 2-for-4, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, HBP
Cesar Cisneros: 2-for-5, 3 RBIs, 1 run
Ryan Alt: 3-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 runs, SB
Matt Gonyeau: 3-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 runs
Aaron LeFrancois: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, 2 BB
On the Mound - Farmington
Trent Holman: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Max Bryan: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Kaleb Hussey (W, 1-5): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Jameson Bloch: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
On the Mound - VTSU Lyndon
Nathan Bigelow: 8.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Tyler Kimball (L, 2-2): 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Zinabu McNeice: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Game Two; VTSU Lyndon 10 - Farmington 1
The Hornets broke a scoreless tie with five runs in the bottom of the third. A single from LeFrancois, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out. Tembruel was then hit by a pitch to put Lyndon on the scoreboard first. Tredell Blow followed with an RBI single, and Matt Doherty added a two-run single to make it 4-0. Alt capped the inning with a sacrifice fly as the Hornets opened a five-run advantage.
Farmington was held without a baserunner the first time through the order by Hornet starter Carlos Rodriguez. The Beavers created some offense in the fourth as Rosa led off the inning with a single and quickly moved to second on a groundout. He scored two batters later on an RBI single from Vincent to make it a 5-1 game.
From that point forward, Farmington advanced a runner to second base just twice as Rodriguez silenced the Beavers' offense. Rosa doubled in the sixth, and Vincent singled and stole second in the seventh, but neither runner advanced beyond second.
A second five-run inning in the sixth put the game away for the Hornets. Jeren Harrison led off the inning with a single, stole second, and later scored on a single and an error to make it 6-1. Cisneros added a sacrifice fly, and Tembruell drove in a run with an RBI double before Blow blasted a two-run home run to left field to make it 10-1 and provide Lyndon with plenty of insurance.
Stat Leaders - Farmington
Tyler Rosa: 2-for-3, 2B, 1 run
Brady Vincent: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, SB
Stat Leaders - VTSU Lyndon
Tredell Blow: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs
Matt Doherty: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs
Eyon Tembruel: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, HBP
Aaron LeFrancois: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 SBs
On the Mound - Farmington
Jameson Bloch (L, 4-6): 5.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Kaleb Hussey: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
On the Mound - VTSU Lyndon
Carlos Rodriguez (W, 5-3): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
UP NEXT
The two teams will face off once again on Sunday for games three and four of the weekend series. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
