WATERVILLE — The Bates College baseball team split a doubleheader with Colby College on Sunday and clinched a New England Small College Athletic Conference East Division playoff spot at Coombs Field.
Colby (15-11 overall) stayed alive for a playoff spot after winning 2-1 in the opening game, but Bates (18-12) bounced back for a 6-2 win in the nightcap to clinch the playoff spot and eliminate the Mules. With Tufts University sweeping Bowdoin College in a doubleheader Sunday, both Colby and Bowdoin finish league play with 5-7 records. Bates already has a 6-4 record, with two conference games with Tufts (8-2) still to be played.
Chris Fusco threw 5.2 innings for the game two win for the Bobcats. Dean Bonneau got the final out of the sixth and went the rest of the way in the nine-inning game.
The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Brendan Fox led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Conor Reenstiema, and scored on a double by Samuel Warren.
The Mules tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Colin Cummings had a two-out single and came around to score on Kevin Galvin’s double.
Bates went ahead for good with a lone run in the fourth inning. Kevin Davis led off with a walk, took second on a sacrifice by Steve Burke, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored on an infield hit by Nate Pajka.
The Bobcats stretched the lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the sixth. Burke had a one-out single and came around to score on a double by catcher Mekae Hyde. Pajka followed with another double to bring in Hyde.
The Mules got their final run in the bottom of the sixth on a lead-off homer by Jason Buco. Galvin had two hits to lead Colby.
Bates added two insurances runs in the top of the ninth. Reenstiema led off with a single and Warren smacked a two-run homer. Warren had three RBI to go with his two hits. Davis, Hyde, and Pajka all had two hits.
In the first game, Colby pitcher Soren Hanson worked 5.2 innings for the victory in the seven-inning game. Dakota Rabbitt got the final four outs without allowing a hit or a walk.
Softball
Bowdoin sweeps Bates
LEWISTON, Maine — Bates College softball fell twice to Bowdoin College, 7-3 and 8-0, in a doubleheader at Lafayette Street Field on Sunday afternoon, ending the season for Bates and securing a spot in the NESCAC Championship for Bowdoin.
The Polar Bears (22-12, 8-4 NESCAC East) scored four runs in the fifth in game one and four runs in the first in game two to gain separation from the Bobcats (8-20, 2-10 NESCAC East). The two teams had originally planned to play the contests on Saturday before weather forced their postponement.
After facing UMaine-Farmington in a doubleheader on Tuesday, Bowdoin will play at NESCAC Championship host Williams, the top seed in the West Division, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in day one of the tournament.
Prior to the games, Bates honored senior captain Alayna Garbarino who posted four assists, a putout, and a run scored on the day.
Junior Adriane Krul went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles, and two runs scored as Bowdoin beat Bates in game one, 7-3.
Sophomore pitcher Julia Geaumont went six innings in the win (7-1), striking out six while allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits. Junior Kelsey Freedman struck out six over a complete-game seven innings in the loss (5-12).
UMF sweeps Johnson State
FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington softball team reached the 10-win mark in North Atlantic Conference play for the first time since 2009 with a “Senior Day” doubleheader sweep of Johnson State College, 8-0 and 9-1, Sunday afternoon at Prescott Field.
The Beavers improved to 14-10 overall with the wins, 10-4 in NAC play. Johnson State fell to 6-19 overall, 5-8 in conference games.
UMaine-Farmington last reached a double-digit total versus conference foes in 2009, when the Beavers were 10-4 in the NAC. UMF softball was 17-13 that season, which also marks the last time the Beavers finished the regular season with a .500-or-better winning percentage. Farmington has just two games remaining on its regular season slate, assuring it of a .500 finish.
Sophomore Emily Soule pitched a one-hit gem with four strikeouts to lead the Beavers to the win in game one, improving her record to 7-4 on the season.
The Beavers did most of their offensive work in the third inning, scoring five runs on six hits. Senior Amy Jones sacrificed home fellow senior Jillian Withee for the first Farmington run, and Katie Clark doubled home Soule to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead.
Freshman Kennadi Grover belted a triple down the right field line to plate both Clark and Jones, doubling the Farmington lead to 4-0. Hannah Lust capped the scoring with a ground out to third that allowed Grover to come home.
Farmington tacked on three runs in the sixth to close the game. Soule singled up the middle to score Shelby Bryant, who got aboard with a double down the left field line. Clark laced a single into center field, plating Jones and Dayle Jordan for the final two Beaver runs.
Jones went 3-for-3 in game one, while Clark was 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Baseball
UMF splits
HENNIKER, N.H. — University of Maine at Farmington senior Brett Wallingford reached the 100 career hit mark in the Beaver baseball team’s split against North Atlantic Conference rival New England College, Sunday afternoon at Laurie Cox Memorial Park.
UMaine-Farmington won the first game, 5-2, on the strength of a four-hit pitching performance from Jimmy Neal and a two-out, two-run double in the seventh off the bat of Tom Grady.
The Beavers couldn’t complete the sweep, however, dropping a 9-4 decision to the Pilgrims in the nightcap.
UMaine-Farmington improved to 11-20 overall with the split, and 10-10 in NAC play – putting the Beavers well in line for a berth in the four-team NAC Tournament next weekend. New England College moved to 8-22 with the split, 5-15 in league play.
Wallingford collected his 100th career hit on a two-out single in the fourth inning. He picked up another single in the second inning of game two, giving him 101 career hits. Wallingford is the ninth player in program history to reach the 100 career hit mark.
Farmington sealed its game one victory with three runs in the top of the seventh, breaking a 2-2 tie.
Sean Cabaniss drew a one-out walk, and went to second when Dustin McCrossin was hit by a pitch. Cabaniss scored on Ben Keene’s single down the left field line and McCrossin advanced to third, but Keene was gunned down at second trying to stretch his single into a double.
After a walk issued to Neal, Grady stepped up and belted a double to score McCrossin and Neal, and went to third on an NEC error.
Farmington’s Joe Sullivan came on in the seventh to close out the win, fanning the first two Pilgrim batters he faced and inducing a grounder to second to end the game.
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