The Middlebury baseball team fell 8-4 to Amherst in the doubleheader opener on Saturday. The second game was postponed due to the weather with the Panthers up 4-0 in the top of the second. A make-up date for the rubber match is to be determined. Middlebury won 5-3 on Friday night.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers wasted no time, jumping on the scoreboard in the top of the first for a 1-0 edge. Will Ashley singled up the middle, advanced to second on a wild pitch, touched third on a base knock by Gus Parker, and eventually came home on a walk from Carter Chi.
• With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, the Mammoths took a 2-1 lead. J.J. Grimes brought home Charlie LaFraniere with a walk and Justin Orridge crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Aiden Dubetsky.. 
• Amherst took advantage of a Middlebury miscue in its next at-bat, sending a pair across the plate on the play to increase the advantage to 4-1. 
• With two outs in the bottom of the fourth and runners on second and third, Jack Sampedro brought home two with an RBI single to right center, upping the Mammoth lead to 6-1..
• The Panthers cut the deficit in the top of the fifth. A base knock by Ashley drove in Aidan Han, before Kyle McCausland was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Back-to-back sacrifice flies from Anthony Pellagrini and Parker scored two to slice the lead down to two (6-4).
• Amherst tacked on a pair of scores in the bottom of the sixth, and retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the 8-4 win. 

NOTES

• Ashley went 2-4 with two runs and an RBI.
• The teams played for the 77th time.

 
Middlebury travels to Union on Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. start.