AMHERST, Mass. – Holding the Ephs to just three runs in the three-game span, the Amherst College baseball team supplemented their shut down pitching with 19 hits, including a triple in each game and seven total extra base hits, to sweep the weekend series against archrival Williams College and claim the Little Three Championship title. It is the program's third outright Little Three crown in the last four seasons and 37th overall since 1910.

With the victories, the Mammoths improve to 7-2 on the season, while the Ephs suffer the first losses on the year and fall to 5-3 overall.

Amherst returns to the diamond next Saturday, May 1 when they wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader against Middlebury College. Opening pitch at Memorial Field is slated for 1:30PM.

GAME ONE | Amherst 4, Williams 0 | Box Score
Striking early and closing out the game strong, the Mammoths tallied runs in the first, fifth, and sixth innings while holding Williams scoreless and to just two total hits to register the 4-0 shut out victory in game one.

• With the bases loaded following two walks and a hit by pitch in the bottom of the first, junior Chris Murphy continued the theme of having patience in the box and forced ball four with a full count to earn the free base and the RBI on what stood as the game-winning run.
• Not allowing a hit in each of Williams' next four at bats, the Mammoths took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth before doubling their advantage behind a double to deep center field by junior Daniel Qin that scored Joseph Palmo '21 after the senior was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to reach base.
• Retiring the Ephs via a fly out, ground out, and strikeout in the top of the sixth, Amherst kept the shut out intact before a triple to right center by Jackson Reydel '23 set up a Michael Perales '24 RBI to push the score to 3-0.
• Adding one more insurance run, Qin powered his second double of the contest two batters later to score Perales and lift Amherst to the 4-0 victory.

Improving to 2-0 on the year, Nick Giattino '24 tossed 6.2 innings in the start for the Mammoths, giving up two hits and striking out nine, while Alan Dai '24 entered to record the final out in relief. Sean Hogan (2-1) took the loss for Williams, giving up two hits, two runs, and striking out six, while Nehemiah Wilson allowed two runs in the final 1.0 innings in relief.

GAME TWO | Amherst 5, Williams 1 | Box Score
Deadlocked at 1-1 after three, Amherst shut out the visitors the rest of the way while adding runs to the board in each of their final three at bats to sweep the doubleheader at Memorial Field via a 5-1 victory.

• Taking a 1-0 lead in the first, Luke Padian '24 capitalized on a two-out double by Qin as he sent a single to left to notch the RBI.
• After a scoreless second inning, the Ephs broke through to tally their first – and only – run of the day after a Cole Whitehouse ground rule double and Tyler Spiezio single to start off the third inning put runners on the corners for Jeremy Irzyk who logged the RBI on a fielder's choice.
• Responding in the bottom of the fourth, Amherst retook and lead and wouldn't look back as they plated scores in each of the next three innings to capture the 5-1 victory.
• With two outs and runners on second and third after Murphy and Dai were each hit by a pitch, Reydel came through for the Mammoths and ripped a double down the left field line to send home the game-winning runs and make it 3-1 in favor of Amherst.
• After a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, the Mammoths added another run to the board behind singles from Qin, Padian, and senior Tyler Marshall (RBI).
• Plating the final dagger in the bottom of the sixth, a Dai triple to start off the inning was followed by a Reydel RBI, his third of the nightcap.

Throwing a complete game, Jacob Ribitzki '24 (2-0) gave up just one run and five hits while whiffing six batters in 7.0 innings on the mound. Nick Skiera (1-1) was credited with the loss for the Ephs, giving up three runs and four hits in 3.2 innings, while Bryan Woolley allowed two runs and four hits in the final 2.1 innings.

GAME THREE | Amherst 5, Williams 2 | Box Score
Getting on the board in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game, Amherst jumped out to a 4-0 lead before adding an insurance run in the fourth inning en route to finishing off the series sweep.

• Racking up five hits in their first plate appearance, a Perales walk to lead off the inning set the stage for a Palmo RBI triple to center field.
• Sending Palmo home two batters later, Padian drove a single to center before advancing to second on a wild pitch.
• Winning the battle at the plate, Murphy came away with a hard-hit single through the right side to score Padian before back-to-back, two-out singles from Camden New '24 and Dai put the Mammoths on top 4-0.
• Cutting the Ephs' deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the second, Nate Orluk took advantage of an Amherst error and tripled Philip Barnett home.
• Countering in the top of the fourth, a Marshall walk and advance to second on a pass ball gave Dai the chance to record his second RBI of the contest as he hit a single up the middle to make it 5-1.
• The sides combined to leave six on base in a scoreless fifth, sixth, and seventh, before the Ephs tallied a run in the eighth to get within three heading into the final inning.
• Loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Williams looked to force extra baseball, but Dai had other plans as he struck out the final two Eph hitters to seal the 5-2 victory.

Sachin Nambiar '22 (2-1) earned the win for Amherst, striking out a whopping 10 batters while giving up just five hits and a run in 7.0 innings. Ian Donahue '24 and Dai closed out the game for the Mammoths, each tossing an inning and Dai striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth to get the save. Williams used five pitchers in the contest, with Eric Gage (0-2) taking the loss after giving up six hits and four earned runs in 4.0 innings.

 

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