Shoremen Come Back for 11-10 Win Over Hamilton
WINTER HAVEN, FL -- The Washington College baseball team scored eight runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally past Hamilton College, 11-10, this afternoon at the RussMatt Baseball Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven. The Shoremen improved to 11-1 for the first time since 1940 with the victory and have now won 10 consecutive games for the first time since 1996 and for the fifth time in team history.
Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Sam Choate scored on an error. The Continentals added five more runs in the second, all with two outs, asAlex Pachella scored on a wild pitch, Sam Fuentes drove in two runs with a double to left field and later scored on an error, and Thomas Merriman scored on a passed ball.
Washington got a run back in the fourth inning when senior shortstop Ryan Normoyle (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) led off the game with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Tyler Cotterell (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South). The Shoremen trimmed the margin to 6-2 on an RBI single by junior center fielder Sean Connole (Mt. Airy, MD/St. John's Catholic).
Another RBI single by Connole in the top of the seventh got the Shoremen back to within three runs at 6-3. Hamilton tacked on four more funs in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead to 10-3. Joe Jensen scored on a fielder's choice, Joe Wulf walked with the bases loaded, Gabe Klein singled, and Pachella scored on a double play.
The Shoremen then mounted their big rally in the ninth as sophomore second baseman Jon Mahaffey (Sykesville, MD/Century) and Normoyle hit RBI doubles; Cotterell, freshman designated hitter Dennis Thomas (Baltimore, MD/Archbishop Curley), and freshman left fielder Brian Alexa (Silver Spring, MD/Good Counsel) hit RBI singles, to cut the lead to 11-8. Sophomore third baseman Nick Marinelli (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) then came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and an error by Merriman at third resulted in all three runners scoring as Washington went in front, 11-10.
Hamilton got two runners on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but freshman pitcher Michael Long (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) retired the final two batters to close the game out for the Shoremen.
Washington pounded out 17 hits in the contest, including seven in the ninth inning. Normoyle had a big game, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI, while Connole went 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored and Mahaffey went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.
The Shoremen played 25 players in the game, including seven pitchers. Sophomore Tom Fiala (New Hope, PA/New Hope-Solebury) got the win in relief, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks in two innings of work. Long got the save, allowing one hit in one inning of work.
Klein and Choate each had two hits in the loss for Hamilton. Klein also had an RBI and a run scored, while Choate scored two runs.
Washington enjoyed an 11-game win streak in 1996, a 10-game streak in 1984 and a 12-game streak in 1937, and won all 12 of its games in 1897. The program's win-loss records date back to 1871.
The Shoremen conclude play in the RussMatt Central Florida Baseball Invitational tomorrow with a 9:30 a.m. game against Curry in Winter Haven.