BANGOR, Me- After a split of a baseball doubleheader on Friday evening in the North Athletic Conference openers, the Husson Eagles came back out on Saturday and swept a twin bill over the visiting UMaine-Farmington Beavers to take three of four games on the weekend at Alfond Diamond at the Winkin Complex. Two great pitching performances and timely offense led the Eagles to the two wins.
In game one, both teams were slowed offensively before Husson got it going just enough in the third inning to take a 3-0 win.
Ryan Hoogterp got it going with Hussons first hit lining a single to right field in the bottom of the third inning. Kobe Rogerson then attempted to sacrifice Hoogterp to second base by laying down a bunt, but would beat the play out at first for an infield single. Conor McGuire then did the same thing loading the bases with noone out. A wild pitch from UMF starter Cole Lockhart allowed Hoogterp to score to make it 1-0. Nick Guerrette then struck out. Luke Covey hit a grounder to first base, scoring Rogerson on the fielders choice. Husson added to the lead in the fourth when Alex Chapman walked with one out, stole second, was moved to third on a groundout by Ethan Daigneault, and scored on a wild pitch to finish the scoring.
The three runs is all Husson starter Cam Graham would need. Graham didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the seventh, when Derek Bowen singled to end the no hit bid for the sophomore. The only other runners to reach base was Justin Rodrique on an error in the first, and Hunter Labossiere with a walk in the seventh. Graham (2-2) went the full 7.0 innings, allowing no runs, one hit, one walk, with six strikeouts. Lockhart (0-2) took the loss, allowing two earned runs, five hits, with three walks, and three strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
In game two, the Eagles provided more of an offensive punch but wasn’t exactly needed as another masterful pitching performance led them to the sweep with a 9-0 win.
An unearned run on a Beavers error in the first made it 1-0 Eagles, before two more came across in the second on a Guerrette RBI single and an RBI sacrifice fly from Luke Covey. Husson broke it open in the fourth inning with five runs. Ethan Stoddard hit a two run single, Chapman had a fielders choice RBI, Nick Brown an RBI groundout, and also an unearned run scored when Hoogterp reached on an error to make it 8-0. Covey added another sacrifice fly RBI in the fifth that ended the scoring for the day. Covey and Stoddard led the way with two RBI each, Hoogterp had two hits, and six other Eagles had one hit a piece in the win.
Brandon Brunell (1-1) picked up the win on the hill, helping to shut down the Beavers offense for a second straight game. Brunell also went the full 7.0 innings, allowing no runs, one hit, two walks, with five strikeouts. UMF only had seven baserunners all day in the two games. Patrick Fallon (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs, eight hits, three walks, with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Bowen also had the lone hit for the Beavers in game two. UMaine-Farmington is now 4-9, 1-3 NAC. Husson improves to 11-9, 3-1. The Eagles host a pair of non-conference opponents with Bates on Tuesday and Colby on Wednesday, before getting back into conference play also at home next weekend against Northern Vermont-Lyndon.
