Ephs Come Up Just Short on the Road Versus Amherst to Start Three Game Series

AMHERST, MA — In a tightly contested match up that went down to the final pitch, the Williams College Baseball team came up short in a 2–1 road loss to arch rival Amherst College on Friday afternoon. 

After a few scoreless innings packed with strong defense, Williams struck first in the top of the fourth inning. First-year Ben Swank worked a lead off walk, then moved up to second on a throwing error by the Amherst pitcher and finally to third after a wild pitch on the next at bat. This set up senior James O'Connor to step in and deliver a ground out to first base, bringing Swank home for the game's first run, giving the Ephs a 1–0 lead.

That lead was held thanks to a gritty performance on the mound by Peyton Rose, who kept Amherst scoreless through four innings despite traffic on the bases. Rose pitched himself out of several challenging situations, leaving numerous Amherst runners stranded throughout the game. He also recorded six strikeouts on the day.

Amherst answered in the bottom of the fifth. After a lead off walk by Jack McDermott, the Mammoths moved him into scoring position with a deep foul out. Jack Boyle then singled through the left side, driving in McDermott to tie the game at 1–1. With two runners still on, Rose remained composed, inducing a pair of fly outs to limit the damage and keep the game even.
Sophomore Grant Greiner took over on the mound in the sixth innng and delivered three scoreless innings in relief. He stranded a pair of Amherst runners in scoring position in the sixth and recorded five strikeouts, including back-to-back punch outs in the seventh that silenced an Amherst rally.

While the Ephs continued to put the ball in play, Amherst's defense stayed sharp. The top of the order nearly sparked a rally in the sixth when Swank drew his second walk of the game, but Williams couldn't find the big hit to move him around. 

The tension peaked in the ninth. Amherst's Aiden Dubetsky led off with a walk, then moved to second on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by Boyle. After a strikeout, a wild pitch allowed Dubetsky to reach third. Jack Sampedro came through for Amherst with two outs, lining a single to left field to bring in Dubetsky as the winning run and seal the 2–1 final.


The Ephs look to bounce back this Sunday at home, facing Amherst again in a double header starting at 1.PM.