A seven-run second inning for Middlebury proved to be all the Panthers needed on their way to a 7-2 victory Tuesday afternoon over St. Michael's at Forbes Field. Middlebury remains at home for a single game on Thursday against St. Joseph (Vt.) at 4:00 p.m., while the Purple Knights (9-22) host Saint Anselm on Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday's victory by the Panthers marked the 103rd victory in 157 meetings between the two programs in a series dating back to 1910.

St. Michael's jumped on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the first inning. Steven Auger was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and came around to score on a single to center off the bat of George Buteau.

Trailing by one headed to the home half of the second, the Panthers exploded for seven runs on five hits and were aided by three Purple Knight errors. Joe MacDonald started the inning with a double to center, advanced to third on a fielding error and sprinted home thanks to a sacrifice fly from Raj Palekar. Andrew Corcoran, who reached on the earlier miscue, tallied the second run when he darted home from second on a base knock up the middle by Brendan Donohue.

The Panthers (2-17) managed to load the bases on a hit from Johnny Read along with the second error and a fielder's choice. Read and Donohue both touched home on a Purple Knight fielding error, while Dylan Sinnickson smacked a two-run double to the gap scoring Middlebury's fifth and sixth runs. Rounding the base and getting caught between second and third as the ball came back into the infield, Sinnickson avoided a tag and scampered over to third. A few pitches later, Sinnickson touched the plate on MacDonald's second hit of the inning, a single that fell just inside the left-field line.

The score remained that way until the top of the eighth when the Purple Knights tacked on their second run. With one out, Nicky Elderton and Drew Salk smacked back-to-back doubles to left center and down the right-field line.

Middlebury starting pitcher Eric Truss (2-3) went the first six innings giving up just one run on six hits and striking out four on 82 pitches. Cooper Byrne worked the final three frames for his first save of the year, allowing the eighth-inning run on three hits and striking out three.

Sinnickson finished 2-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, while MacDonald and Read both had multi-hit games.

Auger went 3-4 with a run scored for the Purple Knights, while Elderton was 2-4 with two doubles and a run scored.

John Mielke (1-2) was saddled with the tough-luck loss. He went the first two innings, giving up seven runs, just one earned, on five hits and struck out a pair. Zack Lanzillo logged six innings of work on the mound for the visitors, surrendering just four hits while walking three and punching out three.