The Middlebury baseball team took both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday against Williams to start the weekend series at Forbes Field. The Panthers posted a 3-2 come-from-behind triumph in the seven-inning opener and scored during six of their eight at-bats for a 15-4 decision during the nine-inning nightcap. 
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• The hosts jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning. Chris Borter singled to left-center field and raced around to third on a double off the left-field wall from Mitchell Schroeder. Borter touched home plate on a groundout by Kyle McCausland for the 1-0 advantage.
• Williams put runners on first and second in both the second and third innings, but Middlebury pitcher Justin Lessing worked out of the jam both times without allowing a run.
• The visitors tallied a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Mike Giove started the rally with a leadoff double down the left-field line, advanced to third on a failed pickoff and scored on a single to center by Ryan Nakajima. The Eph advanced to second on a Panther miscue and third on a bunt single from Luca Lopetrone. Nakajima made it a 2-1 contest when he stole home as part of a double steal.
• Middlebury regained the lead in the fifth. Beau Root walked with one out and scampered all the way around on a double down the line to left from Borter. The Panther then gave the hosts a 3-2 edge when he scored on a sacrifice fly by Schroeder that was mishandled in the outfield.
• Williams threatened in the top of the seventh with runners on the corners, but Lessing posted a strikeout and earned a flyout for the final 3-2 score.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• The visitors struck first in the top of the initial frame. Owen McHugh walked, stole second and raced home on a double to right center from Marcus Burrell for the 1-0 edge.
• Borter knotted the contest (1-1) with a home run over the fence in left field in the Panther half of the frame.
• The hosts made it a 2-1 game with a tally in the third. Borter worked a leadoff base on balls and motored to second on an infield base knock from McCausland. Borter touched home plate on a single through the left side by Baker Angstman for the go-ahead run.
• Middlebury increased its advantage one frame later when Nathan Samii blasted a roundtripper into the wind just to the left of center field for a 3-1 edge.
• McCausland pushed the lead to three (4-1) on the second pitch he saw leading off the fifth with a towering homer to left before the Panthers tacked on two more tallies in the inning for a 6-1 advantage.
• Williams sliced into the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth on a run-scoring double from Burrell that one-hopped the wall in right, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Nakajima, to make it a 6-3 contest.
• Middlebury answered with a trio of tallies in the home half, highlighted by a two-run blast from Zip Malley for a 9-3 lead.
• The Ephs loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, scoring a single run when Giove singled up the middle. Brendan Stannard tried to score from second on the play, but Gus Parker sent a one-hop throw from deep center that threw Stannard at the plate.
• Middlebury added six runs in the eighth, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Borter, for the final 15-4 tally.

NOTES

• Lessing struck out a career-high 13 batters in the opener to pick up the win on the mound, hurling the first complete game of his career.
• Owen Tross earned the victory in the second game, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six over six innings of work.
• Borter was a combined 6-8 for the day with a homer, two doubles, five RBI and scored five times. McCausland also had a pair of multi-hit contests, collecting four base knocks in nine trips to the plate, scored twice and had a roundtripper with three RBI.
• Saturday's games marked the 134th and 135th meetings between the programs in a series that began in 1901. The Panthers have won seven of the last eight matchups.
• Middlebury increased its winning streak to nine with the two victories.

The teams complete their three-game set on Sunday with a single contest. The first pitch from Forbes Field is slated for 12:00 p.m.