SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Amherst College baseball team opened its 2023 season in March in New England Wednesday, traveling to Springfield where the Mammoths settled for an 8-8 tie with their hosts at Archie Allen Field. 

Amherst will face Emerson College Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Auburndale, Fla. at the Lake Myrtle Complex, Field #4. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths scored twice in the first without the benefit of a hit. Jack Sampedro led off and reached on an error. A couple of walks, a couple of balks and - boom! - the Mammoths led by two. Sampedro stole second and scored on a balk two batters later. Luke Padian scored Jack McDermott, who had walked, with a groundout to first base. 

* In the top of the 2nd it was a different story as the Mammoths scored five runs on five hits to take a 7-0 lead. Christian Fagnant drew a lead-off walk and Tyler McCord followed with a single through the right side of the infield. After an out, Sampedro drove a single through the right side as well. Fagnant raced home and was called safe on a bang-bang play at the plate. Another walk scored Sampedro for a 4-0 lead and lined an opposite-field double to left for a five-run advantage. Ryan McIntyre drilled a pitch deep to center field and raced around the bases for an RB-triple that scored McDermott for a 7-0 lead. Jackson Reydel ripped a single through the right side to score McIntyre for the 7-0 advantage. 

* Amherst led 7-2 wen it scored its final run in the top of the 4th. With one out McDermott drove a ball to deep left that went for a triple wile scoring on an error on the play. 

* Jacob Ribitzki started and went the first three innings for the Mammoths, retiring the Pride 1-2-3 in the first on eight pitches. He allowed three hits and two walks while not striking out a batter. First-year Tristan Kim was next on the bump and he also went three frames, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out three. He was charged with three runs. Christian Pedro came on and pitched into the ninth, going 2 1/3 innings and giving up two hits and no walks while striking out two. He was charged with two runs, but both were unearned. 

* Sampedro came on in the bottom of the 9th and Amherst leading 8-7. After the tying run scored on on an error, he proceeded to get a strikeout and a fly ball to right field to ned a bases-loaded threat and preserve the tie. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Each team scored 8 runs on 9 hits. Amherst committed 4 errors, Springfield 2. 

* McDermott went 2 for 4 with a double and triple for the Mammoths.