Lyndonville, VT - The Northern Vermont University-Lyndon baseball team enjoyed their return to the Skip Pound Baseball Complex on Saturday afternoon, as they came away with a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader sweep of the University of Maine at Farmington.  The Hornets improve to 3-8 on the season and 3-5 in NAC play while the Beavers fall to 3-11 overall and 3-10 in the NAC

Game 1 - NVU-Lyndon 2, UMaine-Farmington 1

The opener unfolded as a classic pitcher's duel between Lyndon's Sam Ognenoff (Brattleboro, VT) and UMF's Chris Albert.  The Beavers put what would turn out to be their only run on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning.  Jordi Valls led off the game with a double to center field.  Ryan Simard followed by drawing a walk, then Valls moved to third on Hunter LaBossiere's fly out to right field.  Valls then came home on a balk call.

The Hornets tied things in the bottom of the second inning.  With one out, Steven Friscia (Smithtown, NY) reached on an error, then back to back base hits from Matt Doherty (Gardner, MA) and Tyler Roberge (Essex, VT) loaded the bases.  Friscia scored when Parker Perron (Barton, VT) grounded into a fielder's choice.

Ognenoff and Albert dominated the middle innings.  At one pioint Ognenoff retired 13 consecutive Beaver hitters.  Meanwhile, Albert got out of trouble in the third inning after two Hornets reached base on back to back errors.  Sean Cavanaugh's (Londonderry, NH) fifth inning single was Lyndon's only hit during the middle frames.

The Hornets scratched out the go ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Codi Smith (Hartford, VT) started off the inning by drawing a walk.  Jordan Cane (Merrimac, MA) reached on an error, allowing Smith to move to second.  Albert retired Friscia and Doherty, but Smith moved over to third on Doherty's fly out.  Tyler Roberge (Essex, VT) then came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Hornets the lead.

Ognenoff retired the side in order in the top of the seventh inning to secure the complete game victory.  He finished the game allowing only two hits while striking out four.  Albert also struck out four and gave up four hits.  He took the loss despite not allowing an earned run.

Game 2 - NVU-Lyndon 9, UMaine-Farmington 5

The Hornets got their bats working early on in the nightcap.  Lyndon plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning, aided by a Beaver error.  TJ Santaw (Newport, VT) started things with a one-out single.  Smith then reached on an error, allowing Santaw to move to third.  Cane's RBI single scored Santaw to put Lyndon on the board.  After Matt Brault (Milton, VT) reached on a fielder's choice and Friscia walked to load the bases, Roberge came through with a bases clearing double to make it 4-0, Hornets.

UMF got one run back in the top of the second inning.  LaBossier singled leading off against Hornet starter Dylan Crump (Falls Village, CT).  Aaron Hopkins then reached on an error, and two batters later Aric Belanger singled home LaBossier.

TJ Dorn replaced Beaver starter Aaron Goschke in the bottom of the second, but that didn't slow the Hornet bats down.  After Shea McCaffrey's (Lyndonville, VT) leadoff walk, Ryder Thornton (Essex, VT) singled.  Santaw then doubled to deep center field, scoring both runners.  Smith followed with a two-run home run over the center field wall.  Cane was then hit by a pitch.  He moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third when Brault grounded out.  Roberge then came up with another big two-out hit, scoring Cane to extend the Hornet lead to 9-1.

UMF got back in the game in the top of the third inning.  A walk to Simard and a single by Riley Bartell started things.  LaBossier then reached on a fielder's choice where Bartel beat the throw to second, loading the bases.  Hopkins drew a bases loaded walk to score Simard.  Tyler Lambert then delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring Bartell.  Belanger followed with a base hit to drive in LaBossier, and the Beavers had cut the Hornet lead to 9-4.

The Hornets were able to load the bases in the bottom of the third inning, but Dorn got out of the jam without yeilding a run.  UMF got another run back in the top of the fourth inning.  Jonny Pruett led off with a base hit and moved to second after Valls was hit by a pitch.  Both runners advanced following a wild pitch, then LaBossier's sacrifice fly scored Pruett.

The Beavers threatened again in the top of the fifth inning.  UMF loaded the bases with one out, signaling an end to Crump's day.  Cameron Flinn (Barre, VT) came out of the Hornet bullpen to retire the next two batters and keep the Hornet lead at 9-5.  Flinn then set the side down in order in the sixth and kept UMF off the scoreboard in the seventh to close out the win for Lyndon.

Crump got the victory after allowing five runs, three earned, and six hits.  Crump picked up his first save.  Goschke, the Beaver starter, took the loss.

The Hornets and Beavers will conclude their five-game series with another doubleheader on Monday afternoon.  First pitch at the Skip Pound Complex is scheduled for 2:00 pm.