By Spencer Noon '13 

AMHERST, MA – The Amherst College baseball team carried a 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against Keene State College, but the Owls came from behind to earn a 5-4 victory in 12 innings at Memorial Field.
 
The Owls put themselves in position to break a 4-4 tie in the 12th after they loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Tyler DiPrato scored what proved to be the winning run when Greg Bates hit a two-out ground ball up the middle that the Amherst infield couldn't come up with.

Eric Perrault picked up the win for the Owls (21-8) by pitching the final two innings without allowing a hit or a walk. Keene State's bullpen proved to be the difference maker as Perrault, Ed Lacourse, Shawn Egan and Corey Vogt combined to allow only two hits in 6.1 innings of scoreless relief. Cam Windham '14 (Washington, DC) took the loss for Amherst (15-6) after allowing three runs on six hits in the final four innings.

Keene State got on the board first by breaking up a pitcher's duel with two runs in the sixth inning, thanks to RBI-singles by Larry Longo and Erik Bergstrom. The Lord Jeffs responded with four runs in the home half of the sixth, highlighted by an RBI-single from Alex Hero '14 (New York, NY) and a 2-RBI double down the left field line by Nolan Stewart '13 (New Canaan, CT).

The Owls would not answer until the ninth inning, with Juan Bisono hitting a leadoff double to get things started. After Greg Bates delivered a base hit to right, Bisono came around to score when Nick Vita brought Keene State within one run with a single through the right side. The Owls would end up tying the game after a bases-loaded walk by Bobby Doyon, and neither team would score again until the 12th. 

Fred Shepard '14 (Amherst, MA) pitched the first three innings for the Lord Jeffs, striking out two and allowing only one hit in a solid performance. Jeff Keenan '11 (West Hartford, CT) surrendered two earned runs in 2.1 innings, while Dylan Joyce '12 (South Orange, NJ) and Hayden Metz '12 (Ridgefield, CT) combined for 2.2 innings of no-hit relief. Chris Crutcher pitched the first 5.2 innings for Keene State, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. 

Bob Cook '13 (Winnetka, IL) and Hero had two hits apiece for Amherst, while Stewart was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. DiPrato, Longo, Bergstrom, Bisono and Vita each had two hits for the Owls, with DiPrato leading the way by going 2-for-5 and scoring two runs.

The Lord Jeffs will return to action Friday when they host Williams College at 4 p.m. The Owls will host Fitchburg State tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

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