MIDDLEBURY, VT -- The Amherst College baseball team came up a bit short in its confrontation with its counterparts from Middlebury as the Panthers swept a doubleheader by 2-1 and 8-4 scores.
The Mammoths are now 18-8 overall and 5-4 in the NESCAC West. Middlbeury improved to 20-9 overall and 6-3 in the West. Amherst is at Brandeis University Tuesday for a 5 p.m. start.
Game 1, Middlebury 2, Amherst 1
* The Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead, but the story of this one was Panther starter Justin Lessing.
* Lessing retired the first six Mammoths he faced until
Charlie LaFreniere reached base to open the top of the third by beating out a roller in the infield. He stole second, took third on a groundout and scored when
Jack Boyle lofted a sacrifice fly to left.
* LaFreniere's infield hit was not only the only Amherst hit, he was the only Amherst baserunner. Lessing retired the final 15 batters he faced after giving up the run in the third to improve to 4-0 on the season.
*
Nicholas Giattino took the loss for the Mammoths, his first of the 2024 season. He threw 5 2/3 innings, allowed four hits and two runs, both earned, while walking just one and striking out fve.
Game 2, Middlebury 8, Amherst 4
* The story of this game was LOB: The Mammoths left 13 runners on base and eventually just ran out of chances.
* Middlebury built a 4-0 lead through five frames off Amherst starter
Jacob Ribitzki and reliever
Naaveen Narayanan. The Mammoths had at least one hit in each of the first innings but could push a run across the plate.
* In the Amherst sixth , the Mammoths loaded the bases with no outs.
Luke Padian had a wall-ball single to open the frame. Jake Dove singled through the left side. LaFreniere beat out a single to short to get the sacks full. After an out,
Ben Smith lofted a high fly to left for a sacrifice fly that scored Padian. But the Panthers were able to record the final out without any further damage.
* Still trailing 41, the Mammoths were able to load the bases with one out in the top of the seventh.
Jack McDermott worked a free pass,
Ryan McIntyre was hit by a pitch and Padian blooped a single to left. A short fly ball to right couldn't budge the runners, but with two outs Lafreniere was hit by a pitch to force home McDermott and make it a 4-2 game. Again, the Panthers retired the next batter to escape further damage.
* Middlebury exploded for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-2 lead.
* Amherst fought back, loading the bases for a third consecutive inning in the top of the eighth. Smith roped a double to left center. Boyle single through the shortstop hole
Jack Sampedro drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. A bases-loaded walk to McDermott made it 8-3 still wiht no outs. But a grounder to third resulted in a forceout at home, a sacrifice fly from Padian scored Sampedro but cost a second out, and a strikeout ended the threat.
* The Mammoths were retired 1-2-3 in the ninth.
* Amherst had 12 hits in the loss. Everyone batter in the starting line-up had at least one hit. Padian, Smith and Boyle were each 2 for 4 in the loss.
