Box Score The Middlebury baseball team saw its record-breaking season come to a close on Sunday, as top-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University (42-3) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a dramatic 5-4 win over the Panthers in the NCAA Tournament in Rochester, New York. With the win, the Warriors advance to next weekend's Super Regional and extend their winning streak to 16-straight victories.

Middlebury (31-14) had a remarkable season, capturing the NESCAC Championship and qualifying for the national tournament for the second time while breaking or tying more than two dozen school records.

The Panthers took advantage of batting first, grabbing a 1-0 lead after a half inning of play. Beau Root opened the contest with a single and later scored when Jack Stolper sliced a two-out single to left.

Eastern got on the scoreboard in the last of the fourth, scoring twice. Matt Malcom advanced home on a balk and Jack Rich made it a 2-1 contest with an RBI double to left-center field. 

Middlebury's bats came to life in the eighth inning, as Lucas Flemming led off with a bunt single and Zip Malley bounced a base hit through the right side. Eastern brought in reliever Bryan Albee, who is tied for second nationally with 11 victories, but his first offering was deposited over the right-field fence by Root for a three-run blast. Root's second homer of the regional springboarded the Panthers to a 4-2 lead.

The Warriors had their own heroics in the bottom of the ninth with Ryan Bagdasarian connecting on a two-out, two-run homer to knot the game at 4-4. Luke Broadhurst followed with a single and accounted for the deciding run when he touched home plate on a double off the wall in left center by Malcom for the 5-4 final.

Middlebury's pitching staff did a tremendous job, limiting Eastern to only seven hits. Alex Price, who tied a program record with his 12th start of the season, allowed only one hit in two innings and Sawyer Duarte yielded two unearned runs and one hit. Cole Crider recorded four outs, while Alec Ritch went 3.2 innings. George Goldstein (4-2) took the loss coming in during the bottom of the ninth frame.

Root finished the game going 2-4 with three RBI and scoring twice, while Stolper and Sammy Smith each had a pair of base hits.

For Eastern, Jack Wallace (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless final stanza, while starter Aidan Dunn gave up three runs in seven innings.  Broadhurst and Rich had two hits apiece with Broadhurst scoring twice.

Named to the all-regional team for the Panthers were Root, Alex Price and John Collins.