The Middlebury baseball team erupted for a season-high 25 runs on its way to a 25-6 victory over in-state foe Saint Michael's (3-16) on Tuesday at Forbes Field. The Panthers (12-7) scored in seven different innings and collected a season-best 25 hits. Middlebury returns to action on Wednesday with a 4:00 p.m. game at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, while the Purple Knights play at Southern New Hampshire on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
The Panthers got off to a fast start, scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning.
Sammy Smith drove in the game's initial pair of runs with an RBI triple to left-center field. The three-base hit is the fourth of the spring for Smith, moving him into a tie for second in Middlebury's single-season record book. The hosts scored for the third time on a single through the left side by
John Collins to drive in Smith.
Middlebury added five runs on four hits in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run single to center by
Isaac Rosario, for an 8-0 lead. The Panthers tacked on seven runs in the third, as
Kyle McCausland blasted a three-run homer to left, while
Alec Ritch and
Lucas Flemming tallied triples during the frame.
Saint Michael's got on the scoreboard twice in the fourth, as Ulysses Luciano and Justin Garcia had RBI singles to make it a 15-2 Panther advantage. Middlebury tacked on three scores in the fifth on a two-run homer by
Nathan Samii and a run-scoring infield single by
Sawyer Duarte, before Rosario drove in Samii on a two-run homer to center an inning later to make it 20-2.
The Panthers added one in the seventh when
Lucas Cai hit his first homer of the season to center, before extending the lead to 25-2 with four more runs in the eighth.
Saint Michael's added four runs in the top of the ninth inning on a grand slam from Brady Perron, making the final score 25-6.
Rosario led the Panthers at the plate, going 5-6 with a season-high seven RBI and three runs scored, while Collins was 3-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Six other Panthers added to the offense with two hits apiece, McCausland had four runs batted in, while Ritch and Samii each scored three times.
The Panthers used seven different pitchers in the contest, as
Andrew Gatland (1-0) picked up his first career win striking out a pair in his inning of work.
John Luke Cianciolo went 4-5 at the plate for the Purple Knights, while Terence Moynihan was 2-3 with a run scored and Perron had four RBI. On the mound, starter Jack Menard (0-2) took the loss, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 1.1 innings of work.
The Panthers are the top home-run hitting team in the NESCAC and rank second in Division III in home runs per game, adding four more to their season total with 31. Middlebury also tied the team's season-high marks with five doubles and three triples during the victory.
