AMHERST, Mass. -- Junior
Nicholas Giattino earned his third consecutive complete-game win Saturday as the Amherst College baseball team split its conference doubleheader with Little 3 rival Wesleyan, winning the opener 8-4 before losing the nightcap, 6-2.
The split decision left the Mammoths with a 16-10-1 overall mark, and a 5-4 NESCAC West record. They also clinched a spot in the NESCAC quarterfinals and remain in contention for a West Division crown. Amherst, Wesleyan, Middlebury and Hamilton each have 5-4 records in the division after today.
Next up for the Mammoths is a home game Tuesday vs. Elms College at 3:30 p.m.
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:
* With the 8-4 victory, Amherst claimed the 20223 Little 3 championship.
* Down 1-0 after a half inning, four straight one-out hits in the bottom of the first gave the Mammoths a 2-1 lead.
Jack McDermott got things going with a single to right.
Ryan McIntyre singled to center and
Luke Padian followed with an RBI-single to center to tie the game.
Jack Dove then ripped a single to left to score McIntyre and give Amherst a 2-1 lead.
* Amherst added three in the second to take a 5-1 lead.
Ben Smith and
Javier Irizarry were hit by pitches back-to-back to start the frame.
Jack Boyle ripped a double to left-center field that scored Smith an put runners on second and third.
Jack Sampedro bounced a seeing-eye single back up the middle and through a drawn-in infield to score Smith and Boyle for a 5-1 advantage.
* Up 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Sampedro drilled a solo home run to left field, his first of the season, for a 6-2 lead.
* Giattino went seven full, allowing nine hits and four runs, all earned. He did not walk a batter and struck out six to improve to 4-2 on the season.
* Five different Mammoths had two hits in the win. Padian was 2 for 2 with an RBI. Boyle was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sampedro was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs and a run scored.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
* McDermott would give the Mammoths a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a one-out solo home run to right, but Wesleyan scored six unanswered runs to build a 6-1 lead.
* Amherst scored again in the bottom of the seventh when McIntyre led off with a single and Padian followed with an RBI-double to center field.
* The Mammoths were limited to five hits in the loss. Padian was 2 for 4 with an RBI. McDermott was 2 for 4 with a double and home tun.