One more win.
One more win for the University of Maine at Farmington baseball team, and the Beavers will have their most wins since … well, it’s hard to say.
UMF is 14-10 this season, already matching last year’s win total. The records on the team’s website go back to 2002. For that period, 14 wins is the high-water mark.
There are a lot of good things going on with the Beavers, and pitching is foremost on that list. In North Atlantic Conference games, UMF pitchers have a 2.73 ERA, and the starters have nine complete games in 14 starts. To put that in perspective, UMF had a 6.74 ERA in conference games as recently as 2012.
“I think we’re pitching a lot better,” UMF coach Chris Bessey said. “I think our ERA shows that. We’ve been able to score enough runs to win a couple close games. In years’ past, that’s been our problem.”
Kyle Peterson and Joe Sullivan have each started five conference games for the Beavers. Peterson is 3-2 with a 1.13 ERA, while Sullivan is 2-3, 3.68. In Sullivan’s most recent start, he went all 10 innings and allowed seven hits in a 4-2 loss to New England College.
“Joe’s a pretty tough guy,” Bessey said. “He was stretched out to 100 pitches a couple times. His pitch count wasn’t high — I think it was a little over 100. It’s not like he was 130, 140 or anything.”
Erskine Academy graduate Jory Humphrey had another lights-out performance the next day against NEC. Humphrey allowed only one hit — a double leading off the second inning — and went all seven innings for the shutout. Humphrey finished off his gem by striking out the side in the seventh inning.
The Beavers play back-to-back doubleheaders on Wednesday and Thursday against Thomas College. UMF is 7-7 in the NAC, while the Terriers are 10-6. Husson is in first place at 16-4, but has two doubleheaders at New England College this weekend.
• • •
The raw stats don’t show it, but the numbers are there to show that Thomas College softball is still in good shape with its pitching.
The Terriers graduated ace Kelsey Crowe, but brought in three talented transfers from central Maine high schools: Sonja Morse (Cony), Emily McKenney (Madison) and Taylor M. Johnson (Skowhegan). On the surface, the Terriers are struggling, with a team ERA of 6.69, compared to 4.04 last spring.
But the key numbers to look at are the ones in conference play. Thomas is 4-2 in the NAC, with a team ERA of 2.49. The overall numbers are inflated by the team’s Florida trip against tough competition.
Morse has been everything people thought she would be in conference games. In four starts, she’s 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA, including a two-hitter against UMaine-Farmington and wins in both games of a doubleheader against Lyndon State. In 26 conference innings, Morse has allowed 19 hits and nine walks, while striking out 33.
Messalonskee grad Alyssa Eugley has led the offense in NAC games. Eugley is hitting .297 overall, but .526 in conference play.
• • •
First, Rangeley stars Taylor Esty and Seve Deery-DeRaps committed to play on the women’s basketball team at Central Maine Community College.
Now two standouts from the Class D state champion Forest Hills boys team will be joining the CMCC men’s team.
Tanner Daigle and Brandon Ouellette were longtime starters for coach Anthony Amero at Forest Hills, and both scored over 800 points in their high school careers.
“Tanner and Brandon are winners,” CMCC coach Dave Gonyea said in a press release on the team’s website. “They played for one of Maine’s best coaches, and have experienced success the past four years. Both have a tremendous upside.”
• • •
The NAC playoffs begin this week in some sports. In men’s tennis, Thomas is the No. 3 seed in the NAC East. The four-team tournament will begin and end on Saturday at top-seeded Colby-Sawyer. The semifinals are at 10 a.m., followed by the East final one hour after the last semifinal match is completed. The NAC East and West champions meet May 3 for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Thomas is 9-6 overall, and 4-2 in the NAC. The Terriers face Castleton in the semifinals, and the teams look as even as can be. Castleton won the only regular-season meeting by a 5-4 score on April 11. The Spartans secured the win with tie-breaker victories at No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles.
Eric Morin and Tyler Small are the top two singles players for Thomas. They each have a 10-3 record and are 9-5 at No. 1 doubles. Freshman Zachary Disch of Waterville is 9-4 at third singles.
Thomas and UMaine-Farmington both qualified for the NAC women’s lacrosse tournament. The top two seeds get byes, which means No. 2 Thomas has a home game April 29 against the winner of Saturday’s game between No. 3 Colby-Sawyer and No. 6 New England College. The Terriers defeated both teams in close games this season.
UMF is the fifth seed, so the Beavers are at fourth-ranked Husson at 3 p.m., Saturday. Husson beat UMF 19-7 when the teams met on March 31.
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
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