Ferrum, Va. — Bates baseball split Saturday's doubleheader at Ferrum, dropping a close 6-5 opener in eight innings before bouncing back with a 4-3 win in Game Two, highlighted by SS
Gibby Sullivan's go-ahead homer in the seventh.
GAME ONE
Ferrum struck first in the bottom of the first inning when SS Christian Castillo (Gr.-Miami, Fla.) doubled and came around to score on CF Kyle Markowitz's (Sr.-Hilton Head Island, S.C.) RBI single, putting the Panthers up 1-0.
Bates responded in the third, stringing together a rally to take the lead. LF
Ben Gesmondi sparked the offense with a lead-off double down the left-field line. After swiping third, he scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, after 3B
Tyler Tucker reached on an infield single and an error allowed 2B
Ben Genser to reach, C
Max Dushney delivered a two-run double, giving the Bobcats a 3-1 advantage.
Ferrum quickly answered back in the bottom half of the frame as Castillo launched a two-run homer, knotting the score at 3-3.
In the fourth, Bates regained the lead without recording a hit. After Tucker worked a two-out walk, a pair Ferrum errors allowed the next two batters to reach and bring Tucker home in the process, putting the Bobcats ahead 4-3.
The Panthers responded once again, tying it 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth when a Castillo sacrifice fly brought home a run.
The teams remained deadlocked until the seventh, when Bates capitalized on another Ferrum miscue to push ahead 5-4. Sullivan reached on a walk, advanced to third after an error by the Panthers' catcher, and scored on a subsequent throwing miscue.
Ferrum, however, refused to go away. In the home half of the seventh, a sacrifice fly from 2B Jorge Olivo (Sr.-Hialeah, Fla.) plated the tying run.
With the game knotted at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth, Ferrum found a way to scratch across the game-winning run. Markowitz singled, and after a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases, a fielding error in right field allowed Markowitz to score, sealing a 6-5 victory for the Panthers.
Bates used four pitchers in the game, with starter
Diego Sarabia going 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits.
Kenny Carlisle and
Matthew Shrake provided solid relief, combining for 3.2 innings while giving up just one run.
Charlie Cariello (0-1) took the loss, surrendering the unearned run in the eighth.
For Ferrum, Jorge Garcia (1-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
GAME TWO
Ferrum (2-4) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on control issues from Bates starter Ian McAslan. After a single, walk, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, the Panthers pushed across two runs via free passes.The senior hurler settled in after the rocky start, tossing four solid innings while striking out six.
Bates evened the score in the third inning with a two-out rally. RF Brandon Biggane launched a two-run homer, his first of the season, to tie the game at 2-2. The senior slugger paced the Bobcats with six long balls a year ago.
The Panthers reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth. A lead-off single by RF Tyler Mason (So.-Brookneal, Va.) set the stage. After advancing on a wild pitch, Mason scored from second on a single from 1B Gregory Melo (Jr.-Dyckman, N.Y.), giving Ferrum a 3-2 advantage. Reliever Max Dio limited the damage, stranding two runners to keep Bates within striking distance.
Down to their final three outs, CF Keagan Ryan led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Sullivan stepped up and crushed a two-run dinger, putting Bates ahead 4-3.
Micah Sheats (1-0) was lights out in relief, working two scoreless innings to earn the win. The senior escaped a tense bottom of the seventh after Ferrum put runners on second and third with one out. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Sheats responded with back-to-back strikeouts to secure the victory.
Bates (1-2) will see its next action on Saturday, March 1 with contests vs. host-Nichols College (11:00 a.m.) and Rhode Island College (2:00 p.m.) in Dudley, Mass.
