Middlebury dropped game one of a three-game set at Hamilton as the Panthers fell 8-7. Hamilton's Justin Atwood hit two home runs and picked up his third save to lead Hamilton to the win.
Atwood finished with three runs batted in for Hamilton (9-15, 3-6 NESCAC West). Joe Buicko hit the eventual game-winning home run with two outs in the eighth. Buicko's two-run shot to right-center gave the Continentals an 8-6 lead. Dan Hood and Ryan Calabrese both went 2-for-3. Hood scored two runs. Gideon Clark singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Foster pitched the first six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked four. Brendan Rafalski picked up the win as he recorded the last out in the top of the eighth inning. Atwood gave up one run in the ninth.
Erich Enns hit a two-run homer for Middlebury (10-14, 2-8 NESCAC West). Enns walked three times, stole a base and scored two runs. Mark Shimrock went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jack Britton pitched the first 7.2 innings and was saddled with the loss. Britton surrendered eight runs on 10 hits, struck out six and walked three.
Hamilton led, 5-0, after Atwood's first homer -- a two-run blast to left field -- with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Middlebury answered with Enns' homer to left with nobody out in the sixth. The Panthers added a run in the seventh and took a 6-5 lead with three more in the eighth.
With two outs in the eighth, Shimrock laced a double down the right field line to score Frazier Stowers, who was on third after walking earlier in the inning. On the same play, Tim Dillon, who also walked, scored all the way from first after the Continentals' defense threw the ball away.
Atwood homered to left with one out in the ninth to tie the score at 6-6. Calabrese walked with two outs, and Buicko followed with his two-run homer.
Atwood moved from first base to pitcher in the top of the ninth and got the final three outs. The Panthers made it interesting after Gabe Broughton hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Enns. Atwood retired the last batter on a called third strike to end the game.
