LEWISTON — Bates College needed a seven-run eighth inning to shake off the stubborn University of Maine at Farmington in a nine-inning marathon that lasted three hours and 13 minutes on Wednesday.
Darkness was closing in as the Bobcats’ offense erupted in the bottom of the eighth to come away with a 12-5 victory over the pesky Beavers (3-18).
“I thought Maine-Farmington played a good game,” Bates coach Jon Martin said. “They battled. They tried to control our running game the best they could. They kind of read the scouting report that we like to run.
“(The Beavers) threw a ton of strikes. I mean, it is baseball. Anything can happen on any given day, (UMF) played really well.”
The game was tied at 5-5 when the Bobcats (12-9) sprang into action in the eighth.
The first two batters, Liam Yardley and Drew Fallon, walked. Junior infielder Christopher Cimino’s RBI brought home Fallon for the tie-breaking run, giving Bates a 6-5 lead. Another run came when senior Tyler Attai flied out but picked up an RBI after Jack Margiloff scored.
“We were able to swing the bats in the seventh inning,” Cimino, a Scarborough native, said. “We got some good at bats and ran the bases well. Farmington played a great game. They threw a lot of strikes … a lot credit to them, and we are happy to come out with the win.”
The hits kept on coming. Cimino scored on Henry Jamieson’s RBI single, making it an 8-5 game. Then Brandon Biggaine smashed a two-run homer over the left field, scoring Cimino and providing a 10-5 lead.
Kelley Brennan walked and Ben Genser was hit by a pitch — and both came home on Liam Yardley’s two-run double to top off Bates’ 12-5 victory.
Both sides used a committee of pitchers, with Bates’ Micah Sheats getting the win and Anthony Boyle was tagged with the loss for UMF.
The Beavers proved to be tough to handle when they jumped out to 3-0 lead in the first inning. Nate Coombs singled, stole second and headed for home for UMF’s first run when Hunter LaBossiere smacked an RBI single.
LaBossiere moved third base after Jameson Bloch and Ryan Sargent walked to load the bases. Then Will Cauchon hit a two-run single, bringing home Bloch and LaBossiere to make it 3-0.
“We competed for sure,” UMF coach Chris Bessey said. “The first couple of lead-off walks there in that last inning kind of hurt us …
“I liked the way we battled offensively, scored some runs, had some really good at-bats, didn’t give up. (Bates) is a good team (and from) a good conference) Our team was into it for nine innings, which is good to see.”
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