NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - An RBI single by Andrew Vandini '16 in the top of the ninth lifted the Amherst College baseball team to a 10-9 win over Bates College Wednesday at the New England Baseball Complex.

After a week and a half off, the Jeffs improved to 7-6 in their first game back from their spring break trip as they dropped the Bobcats to 5-5.

The Purple & White recorded 12 hits in the game and were led by Harry Roberson '18, who went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, a RBI and a walk. Vandini, Mike Odenwaelder '16 and Yanni Thanopoulos '17 all recorded two hits and two RBI, while Odenwaelder connected on two home runs. Conner Gunn '16, Sam Ellinwood '18 and Max Steinhorn '18 each recorded a hit to round out the offensive efforts for Amherst. 

Five different Jeffs took to the mound Wednesday as Riley Streit '16 earned the start and tossed four innings, striking out five and allowing five runs (three earned). Keenan Szulik '16 entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and did not allow a run as Jackson Volle '17 pitched the ninth and did not surrender a hit or run as the Jeffs clinched the win.

The Bobcats recorded 11 hits as a team as all nine players in the lineup contributed. Brandan Fox and Eric Vilanova led the squad with two hits and two RBI each. Seven different players pitched Wednesday with Chris Ward tossing 4.0 innings in the starting nod. He allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four.

Amherst jumped out to an early lead Wednesday with a run in the top of the first and added two more in the third when Roberson and Odenwaelder went deep. Holding a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Bates strung together a five-run inning to go ahead.

After a scoreless fifth, Amherst responded with five runs of its own in the top of the sixth. With two outs and a runner on first, Roberson got things going with a single to center field. Vandini drove in a run on the next at-bat, and later advanced to second on a passed ball as Roberson crossed home. Thanopoulos then singled to center to bring in Vandini, and later scored alongside Odenwaelder on a two-RBI single to left field by Gunn.

Trailing 8-5 entering the seventh inning, the Bobcats tacked on two runs in the inning to cut the deficit to one. After another home run by Odenwaelder in the eighth stretched the Jeffs lead to two, Bates evened the score in the bottom half of the inning after an Amherst error and a RBI single by Fox.

Knotted at 9-9 heading into the ninth frame, Anthony Spina '17 put the go-ahead runner on base after an error by the Bobcats. He then stole second to get in scoring position, and reached third after a infield groundout on the next at-bat. With two outs, Vandini then singled to bring in the winning run as Bates was held hitless in the bottom of the ninth.

The Jeffs return to action this weekend for a three-game series against Middlebury. Due to unplayable field conditions, Amherst and the Panthers will play at Auburn High School in Auburn, Mass. beginning Friday night at 6:45 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.