AMHERST, MA – John Lefeber '14 broke a 7-7 tie with a two-out, two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning and finished 4-for-6 with four RBIs to lead Bowdoin College to a 9-8 win over Amherst College in the opening round of the NESCAC Baseball Championship.
The Polar Bears (23-13) will take on Tufts Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Amherst, while the Lord Jeffs (24-9) will head to American International College for a 10:30 a.m. meeting with Middlebury. Tufts defeated Middlebury, 14-2, in Friday's other first-round game.
Fans at Memorial Field were treated to a back-and-forth affair that saw each team rack up 15 hits on the day. Amherst struck first by taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Bowdoin pushed back with two runs in the top of the third. The Lord Jeffs regained the lead at 3-2 when Kevin Heller '12 (Brooklyn, NY) belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, marking the first of his four hits on the afternoon.
The Polar Bears broke through with four runs in the fifth inning, as the first five batters reached base to chase starting pitcher Max McKenna '11 (Lexington, MA) from the game. Relief pitcher Hayden Metz '12 Ridgefield, CT) entered with the bases loaded and recorded two quick outs, but Lefeber delivered a 2-RBI single to center to make it a 6-3 game.
Heller got one back for Amherst with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth, but Bowdoin pushed its lead back to three runs (7-4) when Adam Marquitt '11 was hit by a Metz pitch with the bags juiced in the sixth.
Oliver Van Zant '13 started the sixth inning for Bowdoin in relief of Christian Martin '14, and the Lord Jeffs took advantage of the pitching change by putting three runs on the board. Taiki Kasuga '14 (New York, NY) got things going with a two-run homer to left center, and Nolan Stewart '13 (New Canaan, CT) tied the game at 7-7 with a single that scored Heller.
After the Polar Bears escaped a bases loaded situation unharmed in the bottom of the seventh, they took the lead for good when Lefeber delivered his clutch triple in the eighth. Amherst would make it a one-run game in the home half of the eighth when a double to left center by Bob Cook '13 (Winnetka, IL) scored pinch runner John Wagner '12 (Evanston, IL), but Ian Edwards '12 closed things out for Bowdoin in the ninth by recording a big strikeout with runners on first and second.
Edwards (1-1) earned the win after recording the final four outs for Bowdoin, as he and Jay Loughlin '14 combined for 2.0 innings of shutout relief. Martin allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks in the first five innings, while Van Zant surrendered four earned runs on five hits and three walks in two innings.
Metz (2-2) took the loss after allowing three runs—one earned—on five hits in 3.2 innings of relief. McKenna did not factor into the decision, throwing the first four innings for the Lord Jeffs and surrendering six runs on nine hits. Cam Windham '14 (Washington, DC) pitched the final 1.1 innings for Amherst, giving up only one hit without surrendering a run.
Lefeber led the Bowdoin charge with his 4-for-6, 4-RBI performance, while Matt Ruane '11 went 2-for-5 with three runs driven in. Dan Findley was 3-for-5 and scored a run, and Brett Gorman '11 finished with two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Heller's two-homer afternoon highlighted the Lord Jeff offense, as he finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and another three driven in. Kasuga was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored, while Cook and Brian Merrigan '11 (Holbrook, MA) were each 2-for-5. Amherst committed four errors on the day, resulting in three unearned runs for the Polar Bears.
BOX SCORE
2011 NESCAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Day 1 - Friday, May 13
Game 1 – E2 Bowdoin def. W1 Amherst, 9-8
Game 2 – E1 Tufts def. W2 Middlebury, 14-2
Day 2 - Saturday, May 14
Game 3 – W1 Amherst vs. W2 Middlebury – 10:30 a.m. (at AIC Park, Springfield, MA)
Game 4 – E1 Tufts vs. E2 Bowdoin – 10:30 a.m. (at Memorial Field, Amherst, MA)
Game 5 – Winner of GM 3 vs. Loser of GM 4 - 2:30 p.m. (at Memorial Field, Amherst, MA)
Day 3 - Sunday, May 15
Game 6 – Winner of GM 4 vs. Winner of GM 5 - 10 a.m.
Game 7 (If Necessary) – Immediately Following
