Baseball Fall to Amherst in Slugfest; 18-9
AMHERST, Mass. – The Framingham State University baseball team lost an 18-9 slugfest to Amherst College on Thursday night at the Earl Lorden Field on the campus of the University of Massachusetts.
The two teams also met earlier this season in Florida as the Jeffs complete the three-game sweep of the Rams and improve to 14-7 overall while Framingham State drops to 17-11 with the loss.
Yanni Thanopoulos had a stellar game at the plate for Amherst as he finished 5-for-6 with six RBI, a double and three runs scored. The Purple & White finished with 19 hits in the game as six players recorded multiple hit games. Andrew Vandini finished 4-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles and a home run, while also scoring five times. Mike Odenwaelder went 3-for-4 with a RBI, walk and run scored, and Conner Gunn drove in three runs (1-for-4).
Four different pitchers took the mound for Amherst as John Cook earned the starting nod and picked up his fourth win of the season (4-0). Chris Baldi, Sam Schneider and Mike Castiglie combined for one run on one hit in 3.2 innings of relief.
The Rams started out hot and wasted no time getting on the board as Mainini hit a two-run home run on the third at-bat of the game. However, Amherst retaliated in the bottom half of the inning when Thanopoulos drove in Odenwaelder and Vandini with a double to right center. He advanced to third on the play and scored on the next at-bat on an infield ground-out by Gunn.
Framingham State evened the score in the top of the second when Pallazola led off with a deep home run to left field, but the Jeffs responded once again as they poured on five more runs in the bottom half of inning to pull ahead, 8-3. Amherst took advantage of two Rams errors and totaled three hits in the second.
The Rams scored two runs in the top of the third and held the Jeffs scoreless to cut the deficit to three, but a two-RBI double by West the following inning increased the lead back to five.
Both teams would score over the next two innings as the Jeffs outscored Framingham State in each of the fifth and sixth. Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) hit the visitor's third home run of the game to lead off the fifth, while Amherst responded with three runs on four hits in the bottom half of the inning. Roberson singled and later crossed home on a deep home run over the center field fence by Vandini. The junior then scored shortly after on a RBI single to right field by Gunn.
The Rams got within four after a three-run top of the sixth off three hits, including a two-RBI single to center field by Pallazola. The rally was short-lived, however, as the home team once again pieced together a solid inning that began with one on and two out. Vandini drove in the first run of the inning with a hard-hit single to center field, and Odenwaelder hit a RBI single to left field on the next at-bat. Later in the inning, Thanopolous drove in two runs with a single through the left side.
Amherst added one more run in the bottom of the eighth and held the Rams scoreless over the final three innings en route to victory.
The Jeffs return to the field tomorrow and will begin their weekend series on the road against NESCAC rival Hamilton College. The Rams travel to Plymouth State tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. start.
*Release courtesy of Amherst sports information*