Box Score Middlebury dropped its second-straight game in walk-off fashion, as Grace University (Neb.) scored three times in the ninth to pick up a 9-8 win over the Panthers (0-6) in Arizona. Middlebury is off until it begins a three-game NESCAC West series on Friday in Arizona against Williams.
Trailing 3-1 after one inning, Middlebury put three runs on the board in the second. A pair of walks and a single through the left side by Dylan Sinnickson loaded the bases. Max Araya singled through the right side to drive in a run, while Jason Lock followed with an RBI groundout. One batter later, Raj Palekar walked with the bases loaded for Middlebury's third run of the inning.
Grace took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth before Middlebury scored in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. A sacrifice fly by Joe MacDonald drove in a run in the sixth, before the team scored an unearned run in the seventh, along with an RBI single from Lock. In the eighth, Palekar singled to right center and stole second before moving to third on a groundout. Garrett Werner drove him in with a sacrifice fly to right to put Middlebury on top, 8-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
A two-run single after a single and double led off the inning tied the game at 8-8. Middlebury later intentionally walked the bases loaded to set up a force play, but Carlos Ochoa singled to left to drive in the game-winning run.
Sinnickson went 2-5 with two runs scored, while Palekar finished 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Cooper Byrne threw the first inning, before giving way to Robert Erickson, who threw the final 7.1 innings.
