Kane Goes Deep as Thomas College Baseball Splits at UMF

FARMINGTON, Maine --- Thomas College split a North Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader with UMaine-Farmington at Hippach Field on Wednesday afternoon, taking game one 4-2 and falling 5-0 in game two.

Game 1: Thomas 4, UMaine-Farmington 2
Senior Nik Beeson (Manchester, N.H. / Trinity) threw a complete game on the mound for the Terriers, scattering six hits and two walks while striking out four. He also had two hits, including a double, and scored a run at the plate.

Thomas grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Michael De Los Santos (so., Robstown,
Texas / Robstown) scored on a Hank Vinall (fr., Blue Hill, Maine / George Stevens Academy) fielder's choice and Tristan Pena (so., Portland, Texas / Gregory-Portland) plated Joe Quinlan (sr., Westbrook, Maine / Westbrook) with an RBI groundout.

UMF countered in the bottom of the third inning when Nick Attaliades-Ryan and Jimmy Neal scored on a two-run single by Tom Grady.

After each team stranded a pair of runners in the fourth inning, senior Derek Kane (Natick, Mass. / Natick) blasted a solo home run with one out in the fifth to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead. Thomas added an insurance run later in the inning as Beeson scored from second on a single up the middle by Zach Mathieu (fr., Oakland, Maine / Messalonskee).

The Beavers went down in order in the fifth and sixth innings, but began to mount a rally in the seventh. With one out, Sean Cabaniss singled to right center. Jimmy Neal followed by drawing a walk from Beeson. The senior hurler buckled down, though, getting a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.

Thomas out-hit UMF, 12-6, in the game. In addition to Beeson's two hits, senior Anree Benitez (Orlando, Fla. / University) had a pair of base knocks and stole a base. De Los Santos and Quinlan also had two hits as every Terrier except Vinall had at least one hit.
Cabaniss had two hits for the Beavers.

Riley Chickering went six innings for UMF on the mound, allowing four runs (two earned) on 11 hits and a walk. Brett Elliott allowed one hit while pitching a scoreless seventh.

Game 2: UMaine-Farmington 5, Thomas 0
Mark Leahy pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout with one walk and one strikeout to lead UMF in game two.

The Terriers threatened early as Mathieu and Beeson reached on back-to-back singles with two outs in the first, but a De Los Santos groundout allowed the Beavers to get out of the inning unscathed.
UMaine-Farmington got all of its offense in the fifth inning, leading off the frame with five straight base hits off Terrier starter Matt Rutherford (so., Saco, Maine / Thornton Academy). After a double steal put runners at second and third, Tom Grady hit a two-run single, Grayson Beressi followed with an RBI single and Jordan Croteau ended Rutherford's day with an RBI double.

Junior Dominic Esposito (Portland, Maine / Deering) entered the game in relief of Rutherford, allowing a sacrifice fly before working his way out of the inning.

After leaving two runners in the first and one each in the second and third innings, the Terriers were set down in order in their final four trips to the plate.

Rutherford took the loss on the mound. He was charged with five runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out two. Esposito pitched the final three innings, allowing just two hits while striking out one.

Mathieu had two hits to lead Thomas offensively, while Beeson and Alex Curtis added a single each.
Ben Keene, Beressi, Croteau and Attaliades-Ryan all had two hits for the Beavers.

Thomas makes the trip to Lyndonville, Vermont, this weekend for a four-game set at Lyndon (4-20, 1-11 NAC). Doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday begin at noon.