AMHERST, Mass. – The No. 23 Amherst College baseball team split its home opening doubleheader with Endicott College Saturday afternoon, dropping game one 4-3 in 13 innings before claiming a 7-3 victory in the second game of its twinbill at Memorial Field. 

RECORDS
Endicott (7-4)
Amherst (9-2) 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS: Amherst 3, Endicott 4 (13 innings)

• After surrendering an early run to Endicott in the top of the second, Amherst rallied back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. With runners on the corners and two outs in the inning, Anthony Spina '17 laid down a near perfect bunt, beating the throw to first and earning an RBI as Joe Feldman '18 crossed home plate. Dave Cunningham '16 then singled to drive in a run on the next at-bat to give the Purple & White a one run lead.
• The Gulls evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the ninth as a clutch steal by pinch runner Nick Berno laid the groundwork for Mike Kochiss to hit him home two batters later.
• Endicott would score twice in the thirteenth to take a two run lead, with Michael DeDonato sending a leadoff hit over the fence and Kochiss driving in his second RBI of the game four batters later.
• After loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning, Yanni Thanopoulos '17 walked to score Spina and cut Amherst's deficit to one, however the Purple & White were unable to take advantage a second time as Victor Molle clinched the Gulls win with a strikeout.
• Spina, Ariel Kenney '18, and Harry Roberson '18 paced the Amherst offense with two hits apiece. Spina went 2-for-5, scoring a run and recording an RBI, while Kenny finished 2-for-6 and scored a run. Yanni Thanopoulos '17 and Cunningham each added an RBI for the Purple & White.
• DeDonato and Kochiss led the Gulls with two hits apiece, with the duo racking up four hits and three RBIs.
• Amherst held the edge in hits, 12-10.
• Junior Jackson Volle started on the mound and pithed a solid eight innings for the Purple & White, striking out six and allowing five hits and one run. Mike Castiglie '17 tossed an inning in relief allowing one hit and one run.  John Vasiliu '19 (1-1) took the loss for Amherst, allowing four hits, two runs, and striking out one after entering the game in the top of the twelfth. 
• Davarn Nova (1-1) earned the win for Endicott, pitching four innings and allowing three hits and no runs while striking out two batters. Victor Molle entered in the bottom of the thirteenth and pitched 0.1 innings to earn the save for the Gulls.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS: Amherst 7, Endicott 3

• After four innings of scoreless play, Amherst got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Roberson drove in Max Steinhorn '18 with a single to left field.
• Endicott would respond in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs to take a 3-1 lead before Amherst converted on a double play to end the inning.
• The Purple & White would rack up six hits and go on to score two runs in each of the next three innings en route to claiming the 7-3 victory.
• Sam Ellinwood '18 recorded a game-high four RBIs and three hits, including a home run, as he finished 3-for-5 from the plate. Steinhorn, Thanopoulos, and Kenney each went 2-for-5, with Steinhorn and Thanopoulos each scoring a run and Kenney adding an RBI.
• Evan Lumpinski led the Endicott offense, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the batters box, including a double, while scoring a run and notching an RBI. Chris Seidl and Mike Kochiss each went 2-for-4.
• Amherst outhit the Gulls 12-10 in the win.  
• Tabbed to start in game two, Riley Streit '16 logged six innings for the Purple & White, allowing eight hits and three runs and striking out two batters. Keenan Szulik '16 (1-1) entered in relief in the top of the seventh and gave up just two hits and no runs to earn the victory.
• Six different Gulls took the mound in game two, as starter Will Ferreira received a no-decision after tossing five innings and surrendering six hits and one run, while striking out four. Zachary Sultar (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs and a hit in 0.1 innings of work.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

•  Saturday's game marked the first Amherst College baseball matchup played on the newly renovated Memorial Field. 

UP NEXT

• Endicott returns home and will host Bates College on March 29 starting at 4 p.m.
• Amherst continues its six-game home stand with a non-conference game against Springfield College on Wednesday, March 30 at 3:30 p.m.