The Middlebury baseball team (2-6, 2-6) fell 8-5 in game one at Amherst (8-3, 8-3), before rallying for a 5-4 victory in game two for a doubleheader split on Saturday.
 
Middlebury's Sammy Smith got things going in game one with a triple to left center, before touching home on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Ashley. Later, Lucas Cai homered to right center for the 2-0 lead. In its half of the inning, Amherst's Joseph Palmo singled to right, stole second and later scored on an error. Chris Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Daniel Qin, evening the game at two runs apiece. In the top of the third, Smith walked and later scored when Mitchell Schroeder singled through the left side for the 3-2 Panther edge.
 
The Mammoths responded in the bottom of the fourth after Aidan Park was hit by a pitch. Park crossed home plate on a triple by Alan Dai, before Dai scored on a single by Jackson Reydel for the 4-3 advantage. Amherst increased its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Palmo singled through the right side, Qin singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, before Palmo and Qin touched home on a base hit by Luke Padian to make it 6-3. The Mammoths added two more runs in the sixth for the 8-3 advantage.
 
In the top of the seventh, Middlebury's Ashley singled and advanced to second to start the inning. Schroeder walked, before Ashley crossed home on a base hit by Baker Angstman.  With two outs and runners on second and third, Jack Torpey drove in Schroeder to make it 8-5, but it wasn't enough for the Panthers as Amherst recorded the final out to hang on for the win.
 
Henry Gustavson (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for Middlebury, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out three over four innings of work. Smith went 1-2 with a triple and two runs, while Schroeder went 1-2 with an RBI and a run.
 
Amherst's Nick Giattino (3-0) earned the win allowing three runs on three hits while striking out five over four innings. Jacob Ribitzki allowed two runs on three hits while striking out seven in the final three innings. Palmo went 3-4 with an RBI and three runs, while Qin, Padian and Reydel each went 2-3. Padian also had three RBI, while Qin and Reydel each hit a double.
 
The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 edge in the top of the third during the second game. Evan Hunter reached first on an error, before advancing to third on a double down the left field line by Smith and later crossed home plate. In the bottom of the fourth, Amherst's Palmo walked, before touching home on a double by Qin to make it 1-1. The Panthers responded in the top of the fifth, taking a 2-1 edge. Flemming singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored a play later on a single to left field by Cai.
 
The Mammoth's scored three times in the bottom of the sixth. Perales singled to center, before Palmo homered to drive in a pair of runs. Qin singled during the next at-bat, stole second and later scampered home on an an error, increasing the lead to 4-2.
Middlebury answered in the next inning. Hunter singled and Smith walked, before both advanced a base on a wild pitch and Hunter crossed home plate a play later on an RBI groundout by Ashley. With runners on first and third, and error allowed Smith to scamper home, knotting the game 4-4. The Panthers added the game-winning run in the top of the eighth. Torpey walked, before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Leinan. He later crossed home on a single through the right side by Smith to make it 5-4. Amherst had a chance to knot the game during its final at-bat. Michael Perales singled, advanced to second on an error and reached third on a wild pitch, but Middlebury's Charlie Kutz struck out the final Mammoth batter to hang on to the 5-4 victory.
 
Kutz (1-2) earned the win for the Panthers, allowing just one hit and striking out four over the final 2.1 innings of work. Cai went 2-3 with one RBI and Smith went 2-4 with one run, one RBI and a double.
 
Dai (1-1) suffered the loss for Amherst, allowing three runs on two hits over the final two innings of work. Sachin Nambiar struck out 12 batters over the opening six innings. Perales and Qin each went 2-4 with one run scored, while Qin had one RBI. Palmo hit a homer during the game.