AMHERST, Mass. – The No. 23 Amherst College baseball team rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit, scoring five times in the sixth inning to edge Springfield College, 10-7 in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference game. 

RECORDS

Springfield (6-8-1)
Amherst (10-2)

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• After two scoreless innings, the Pride jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Matt Fraioli sent a double to the wall to score Colin King before a throwing error on a double play attempt allowed Fraioli and Evan Moore to cross home plate two batters later.
• Amherst began to claw back into the game in the fifth. With one out and the bases loaded Harry Roberson '17 came through for the Purple & White, sending a sacrifice fly deep enough into center field to allow Dave Cunningham '16 to tag up and score to make it a 3-1 contest.
• The Purple & White would explode for five runs an inning later to take a 6-3 lead. Patient at the plate throughout the sixth, Jonathan Ramirez '16, Yanni Thanopoulos '17, and Sam Ellinwood '18 would each draw a walk with the bases loaded to tack on three runs, while Max Steinhorn '17 would double to left field to score two more.
• Keeping up the offensive pressure, Amherst would score three more times in the seventh and once in the eighth to take a 10-3 lead into the top of the ninth.
• Refusing to relent, Springfield would make a run at the score in its final at bat, tallying five hits and four runs, but the Purple & White would hold on to post the 10-7 victory.
• Cunningham and Steinhorn led the Amherst offense, with Cunningham finishing 2-for-4 with two runs and Steinhorn going 2-for-5, recording two RBIs, and scoring twice. Roberson and Thanopoulos each went 1-for-4 and tallied two RBI's apiece, while Ellinwood, Connor Gunn '16, and Ramirez each registered and RBI in the outing.
• Fraioli and Corey Wilcox each went 2-for-4 to lead the Pride, while Moore and JP Peters both finished the game 2-for-5. Fraioli, Peters, and Peter Marsicano were the RBI getters for Springfield, with Peters hitting three runners in, Fraioli notching two RBI and Marsicano adding another.
• The Pride's Jack Weinberger went hitless and struck out one in four innings, while Fletcher Comment took the loss after allowing four hits and four runs in 1.1 innings. Mitchell Goldman gave up five runs on three hits in 1.2 innings before Tristian Sudemeier entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and allowed a hit and a run.
• First-year Wilson Taylor tossed five innings on the mound for Amherst, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out five. George Long '17 (1-0) entered in relief and earned the win, fanning one and allowing two hits in two innings pitched. Andrew Ferrero '19 made his collegiate debut in the top of the eighth, allowing no hits to set up JR Anderson '18 and Chris Baldi '16 in the ninth, with Baldi striking out two and earning the save.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Amherst edged Springfield in hits, 10-7.
• The Purple & White's pitching staff struck out nine and walked four, while the Pride walked 13 batters and fanned six.
• Both sides left nine runners on base in the outing.

UP NEXT

• Springfield returns home to take on Elms College on March 31 at 3:30 p.m.
• The Purple & White open NESCAC West play on Friday, April 1 when they welcome Hamilton College to Memorial Field for game one of a three-game weekend series. The opening pitch is set to cross the plate at 3:30 p.m.