Amherst Overcomes Tufts 10-7 in Game 5 of Baseball Championship
Courtesy Trinity Sports Information
HARTFORD, Conn. – Junior Brendan Powers (Walpole, Mass.) had five hits, two of which were home runs, to lead Amherst to a 10-7 win over Tufts in game five of the 2008 NESCAC Baseball Championship Sunday monrning. With the win, Amherst earns a ticket to the championship game against the unbeaten Trinity College Bantams (36-0).
Powers only made one out at the plate, scoring three runs and knocking in three RBI in the high scoring affair in which nine different pitchers were used. Teammates, junior Angus Schaller (Leucadia, Calif.) had a home run and two doubles to go along with two RBI and three runs and senior Neal Allar (Floyds Knobs, In.), who was responsible for the game-winning hit in yesterday’s quarterfinal game with Williams, reached base four times for the Lord Jeffs.
Powers first homerun came with two out in the first inning off Jumbos starter, senior Jason Protano (Milford, Mass.), to give the Lord Jeffs a 1-0 lead. Tufts came back and answered in the bottom half of the inning with solo shot from senior Steve Ragonese (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) off Amherst starter, senior Chris Edgar (Massapequa, N.Y.). It was a see-saw battle of sorts, as there were six lead changes in the first five innings, until Amherst took the advantage for good in the sixth with a three-run inning.
The Lord Jeffs tacked on three more runs in the eighth and one in the ninth, and Tufts answered in both innings as they had done for much of the game, but it was not enough. While pitching on both sides was thin, the Jumbos ran out of innings as first-year pitcher Max McKenna (Lexington, Mass.) was able notch the save in relief for Amherst, bringing Tufts season to close.
Edgar went five innings, allowing three runs and striking out six to earn the win on the mound. Protano, who allowed four runs in five innings, three of which earned, gets the loss.
Ragonese had three hits and three RBI, junior Eric Catalanotti (Grafton, Mass.) had two doubles and junior Kevin Casey (Milford, Mass.) scored three runs to highlight the Jumbos offense. Tufts finishes their season at 19-15. Amherst is 24-11-1 after this morning’s win.
