The Middlebury baseball team split two games during a NESCAC West road doubleheader on Saturday at Hamilton, as the Panthers won the seven-inning opener 11-5 while the Continentals posted a 4-2 nine-inning victory in the nightcap. The Panthers (7-7, 1-1) and Continentals (9-8, 1-1) wrap up the three-game series Sunday with a single game beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Middlebury started the day with three runs in the top of the first, as
Beau Root walked and
Sammy Smith reached on an error. Root and Smith came around to score on a three-run home run off the bat of
John Collins for a 3-0 advantage. The round-tripper was Collins' NESCAC-leading fifth of the spring. Hamilton cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI groundout from Jackson Sattinger and a run-scoring single through the right side by Brady Slinger.
The Panthers regained a three-run edge in the top of the second, as
Lucas Flemming roped a one-out triple to right-center field. He touched home plate on a double by
Sawyer Duarte, before Duarte made it 5-2 coming in to score on a two-base hit to left from
Mitchell Schroeder.
The visitors tacked on four more runs in the top of the fourth, as Collins walked and scored on a homer to left center from
Kyle McCausland.
Zip Malley followed with a double to left and scored on a long ball from Flemming for a 9-2 advantage.
One inning later, Smith ripped a triple, his team-best third of the season, to left center and raced home on a RBI groundout by
Andrew Ashley for a 10-2 lead. The Continentals pulled to within five (10-5) in the bottom of the frame, as Ethan Harrast had an RBI infield single, Sattinger brought in a run on a Panther fielding miscue and Slinger lifted a sacrifice fly.
Middlebury added its final run in the top of the seventh, as Collins doubled to left and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by McCausland for the final 11-5 score.
Collins went 2-3 at the plate with a double and a homer, three runs scored and three RBI for the Panthers. Malley (2-4, R), Flemming (2-4, 2R, 2 RBI) and Duarte (2-3, R, RBI) each produced multi-hit games for Middlebury.
Alec Ritch earned the complete-game victory on the mound, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts.
Harrast was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI for Hamilton, while Phil Bernstein went 2-4 and scored twice. Sattinger and Slinger both drove home a pair of runs. Gavin Schaefer-Hood (2-2) took the loss, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) and nine hits over five innings.
The Continentals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the nightcap, as Harrast reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double to right center by Slinger. Hamilton doubled its lead in the fifth, as Bernstein tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
Smith sliced the Panther deficit to 2-1, leading off the sixth with a homer to left for his fourth of the season.
Jack Stolper followed with a double to right, stole third and touched home on a sacrifice fly from Malley to level the contest at 2-2.
Hamilton scored the final two runs of the game in the seventh, as Shane Dux produced a run-scoring single through the left side, while Bernstein made it a 4-2 game with an RBI base hit to right. The Panthers were unable to get a rally going in their final two at-bats, as the Continentals earned the split.
Schroeder and Smith each went 1-4 at the plate for Middlebury, while Stolper and Duarte also collected base hits.
Alex Price (1-2) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on six hits and struck out 11 Continentals in 6.1 innings.
George Goldstein went the final 1.2 innings for Middlebury, collecting five strikeouts.
Bernstein (2-4, R, RBI) and Schaefer-Hood (2-3) both tallied two hits for Hamilton. Jack Clougherty (1-1) picked up the win on the mound, allowing just one hit over the last 3.2 innings.
