WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The Bates baseball team rallied from a 9-4 deficit to prevail 12-10 over Carthage College Sunday at the RussMatt Invitational.
The Bobcats (2-1) handed the Firebirds (2-1) their first loss of the young season. But it wasn't easy.
Trailing 9-4 in the bottom of the fifth, sophomore
Noah Jankowski (Methuen, Mass.) ripped a double to center. One out later, he advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when senior
Antonio Jareno (Marietta, Ga.) delivered a sacrifice fly to left field, trimming the deficit to four.
The Bobcats plated three in the sixth to get even closer. Sophomore
Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) got things started with an infield single. With two away, senior captain
Kevin Lucey (Topsfield, Mass.) and junior
Tyler Attal (Los Angeles) drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.
Jankowski greeted a new Carthage pitcher with a bases clearing double, making the score 9-8.
Bates took the lead for good in the seventh. Jareno walked to start the frame. A Carthage error put runners at first and second. Brennan bunted the runners over and junior
Alex Ross (Ridgefield, Conn.) got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then Carthage's left fielder dropped a fly ball, allowing two runs to score and giving Bates a 10-9 lead. A wild pitch plated another run and Bates led 11-9.
Attal led off the eighth with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He stole third base and scored on a Jareno single through the left side.
Leading 12-9, the Bobcats had to hang on for dear life in the top of the ninth.
The Firebirds loaded the bases and plated a run on a wild pitch. Then a walk re-loaded the bases with two outs and Bates up by two.
Enter first-year
Ian McAslan (Baltimore, Md.), who got the next Carthage hitter to fly out to left, ending the game and earning McAslan his first collegiate save.
Fellow first-year
Christopher McGrail (Dedham, Mass.) tossed three and two thirds innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen to pick up his first collegiate win.
Attal and junior
Henry Jamieson (St. Simons Island, Ga.) both went deep in the third inning for Bates. Attal now has two homers in three games to start the season. He went 2-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Jankowski went 2-4 with a run scored and three batted in. Jamieson finished 2-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.
The Bobcats return to action Saturday at 1:30pm when they take on Middlebury in a non-conference game in Troy, N.Y.