Middlebury dropped a 9-8 non-league game at Skidmore on Wednesday afternoon. Erik Watkins went 4-5 with a grand slam to lead Skidmore to the win at David Alexander Castle Diamond. The Thoroughbreds are 15-7, while the Panthers drop to 8-9.

Middlebury put six runs on the board in the top of the first, capped by a two-run homer by Tyler Wark. Will Baine had a two-run double and Matt Wassel had a two-run single as the Panthers sent nine batters to the plate.

Skidmore battled back to tie it with six runs in the bottom of the second.   The first four runs came when Watkins drilled a two-out 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for his first homer of the season.  The Thoroughbreds tacked on two more with an RBI single from Leejay Pollacchi and an RBI double by Alex Pavelock.

The Panthers regained the lead, 7-6, in the third when Dylan Sinnickson singled and scored from first on hit-and-run single by Thomas Driscoll.

The Thoroughbreds took the lead for good, 8-7, with a pair of runs in the fourth off a Jesse Frehling  pinch-hit double.   

Skidmore went up 9-7 in the fifth when Pollacchi singled and later scored on a Nick Barrasingle.

Middlebury pulled to within one in the seventh, 9-8, when Wassel reached on a walk andscored on an infield putout.  

The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, but Skidmore reliever Max Martins struck out consecutive batters and got the third out on a fielder's choice to end the threat.

In addition to Watkins, Pollacchi and Nick Barra were each 2-4 with two runs and an RBI.   Jordan Keysor (3-2) got the win in relief. He pitched two innings, allowing three hits. Issac Forman had the save with a perfect ninth inning.

Spencer Egan (0-2) took the loss in relief for Middlebury, as Alex Kelly went 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Five other players had multiple-hit games for the Panthers.

Skidmore returns to Liberty League action on Saturday at RIT, while Middlebury visits Hamilton on Friday and Saturday for  a NESCAC West series.

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