AMHERST, Mass. -- After allowing a two-run homer run to the third batter of the game, Nicholas Giattino hurled 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball Saturday, leading the Mammoths to a 15-2 win over Tufts University in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader at Memorial Field.

Despite some late-game heroics from Javier Irzarry in the nightcap, the Mammoths settled for a split following an 8-7, 10-inning defeat. They are now 9-7-1 overall heading into a non-conference match-up at home with Brandies University Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:

* To back Giattino, Amherst pounded out 15 hits. Jack Dove was 4 for 4 while Jack Sampedro went 3 for 4 with 6 RBIs in the victory. 

* Down 2-0 early, the Mammoths responded with three runs in the second and four in the third to build a 7-2 lead. In the second, Dove singled to shortstop. After an out, Irzarry grounded a single through the right side. A throwing error allowed the first run to score, and Sampedro followed by grounding a single through the left side that scored both runners for a 3-2 Amherst lead. 

* In the third, Ryan McIntyre got things started with a lead-off single and took second on a passed ball. After an out, Jackson Reydel was hit by a pitch. Dove followed with an RBI-single to left. With two outs, Irzarry walked to load the bases. Jack Boyle was hit by another pitch to force home a run. Sampedro followed with another two-run single for a 7-2 lead. 

* In a five-run sixth inning, Sampedro had a third two-run single. Christian Fagnant struck an RBI-single to right. 

* Giattino evened his record to 2-2. He gave up two hits over seven innings while walking six and striking out three. 

* McIntyre was 3 for 4 as well. Irzarry went 2 for 3 with two walks and scored four times in the win. 

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

*  Amherst built an early 2-0 lead with a Dove sacrifice fly in the the second and a Luke Padian RBI-single RBI-single in the third. 

* Tufts tied it at 2-2 with two runs in the fifth. 

* In the bottom of the seventh, the Mammoths scored three times to take a 5-2 lead. Sampedro led off with a single, Jack McDermott singled through the right side, and McIntyre followed with a ling single down the right-field line that scored Sampedro. McDermott also scored on a throwing error on the play. A Reydel single back up the middle scored McIntyre for the 5-2 lead. 

* Tufts responded with five runs in the top of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead. 

* A dramatic rally in the bottom of the ninth would allow Amherst to tie the game at 7-all. McIntyre drew a lead-off walk and Padian singled him to third. Reydel mae it a 7-6 game when he grounded out to third to score McIntyre and move pinch-runner Michael Perales to second. With two outs, Irzarry came through with a line drive opposite field single to left that tied the score. 

* Jacob Ribitzki got the start for Amherst and was strong, going seven innings and giving up just four hits and two runs, both unearned, while walking three and striking out two. 

* McIntyre went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Padian was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Sampedro was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Irzarry was 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI.