AMHERST, Mass. --
Nick Fassert threw 6 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball Friday in a NESCAC West Division game at Middlebury and left after the 8th leading 3-1, but the Panthers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Amherst, 4-3, at the Middlebury Softball/Baseball Complex.
Amherst fell to 12-5 overall, 1-3 in the NESCAC West, while the Panthers improved to 12-5 overall and 1-0 in divisional play. The two teams will meet Saturday in Middlebury for a twinbill beginning at 12 p.m.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* The first four frames were a great duel between Fassert and Middlebury's Chase Zidicky, and the result was goose eggs across the board until the Mammoths broke through with two in the top of the fifth.
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Charlie LaFreniere led off and reached on an error.
Zander Carnahan then beat out a grounder to short for an infield single.
Aiden Dubetsky's bunt was misplayed and loaded the bases before
J.J. Grimes grounded a single into left field that scored LaFreniere for a 1-0 lead.
Carson Ames followed with a hard shot to first that he beat out for a single and an RBI as Carnahan raced home with the second run.
* Amherst made it 3-0 with a single run in the top of the sixth.
Tyler McCord worked a lead-off walk and
Justin Orridge also drew a free pass. LaFreniere loaded the bases with an infield chopper to third he beat out for a single. Carnahan then reached on a fielder's choice as McCord slid home safely.
* In the bottom of the sixth, Amherst head coach
J.P. Pyne temporarily saved the no-hitter after a Middlebury batter was called safe on an infield grounder to short. Pyne successfully cajoled the umpires to talk it over and they reversed the safe call.
* After a strikeout to start the 7th, Fassert finally allowed a hit as Panther Henry Ayers looped a single into right field. He would score on a two-out triple to left off the bat of Sam Gersch.
* Fassert finished strong, striking out the side in the eighth, working around a one-out walk. His final line was as good as you'll see: 8 innings, 2 hits, one run, one walk and 11 strikeouts.
*
Adrian Caron struck out the first batter he saw in the bottom of the ninth before the Panthers went single, single, walk, single, walk-off single from Brian Olson. Middlebury's Christian Zebrowski earned the win with three no-hit innings of relief.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Amherst had five hits from five different batters: Ames, Grimes, Carnahan, LaFreniere and
Leo Foust.