The Middlebury baseball team (26-11) scored runs in six different innings, taking the decisive contest 13-1 over Tufts (24-12) on Sunday in a best-of-three NESCAC Quarterfinal series at Forbes Field. The Panthers advance to next weekend's double-elimination conference championship hosted by Trinity and will take on Amherst at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. 

With the victory, the Panthers' 26 wins match the program single-season record set in both 2006 and 2019.

Middlebury got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with a pair of runs. Chris Borter doubled to right field to drive in Nathan Samii who singled earlier, before Zip Malley brought home Andrew Ashley on a groundout after Ashley reached on an infield single.

The Jumbos tallied their lone run in the third, as Patrick Solomon drew a leadoff walk and scored on a double play.

The Panthers took a 3-1 advantage in the third when Alec Ritch was hit by a pitch, advanced to second when John Collins walked, before both moved up on a wild pitch. Jack Stolper lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Ritch for the two-run edge.

Middlebury scored three times in the fourth, as Beau Root had an RBI groundout, Collins drove in another on an infield single and Sammy Smith reached on an error to bring in Ritch. The run was the 45th scored by Ritch this spring, becoming the single-season leader surpassing the mark of 44 set by Nick Lefeber in 2006. 

The hosts made it a 7-1 game in the sixth when Collins blasted his NESCAC-leading 12th homer over the left-center field fence.

Stolper started the seventh for Middlebury with his fifth roundtripper of the spring to left center, while Borter had a run-scoring single and Ritch had a sacrifice fly for a 10-1 advantage.

Middlebury scored three more in the eighth, as Ashley had an RBI groundout and Malley laced a two-run double to left center for the final 13-1 triumph.

Borter went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and two RBI. Samii hit two hits and touched home three times with two stolen bases, while Root (2-6, SB) and Collins (2-5, R, 2 RBI) both had multi-hit games. Malley finished with a career-high three RBI. The Panthers added to their Division III-leading stolen base total with eight steals on Sunday, swiping 154 on the season.

Ritch (3-0) picked up the win on the mound, tossing six innings of one-run, six-hit baseball, while striking out six. Cole Crider walked one and struck out another in his two innings of relief, while George Goldstein came on for the ninth for his 21st appearance of the season.

Miles Reid led the Jumbos at the plate, going 3-3 with a double, while Ben Leonard was 2-3 with a double and a walk. Brendan McFall (3-2) took the loss, giving up six runs, five earned, on six hits over 3.2 innings with five strikeouts.

The Panthers finish the home portion of their season with a 14-2 record on Forbes Field. Middlebury also turned three double plays defensively in the triumph.