BENNINGTON, Vt.- With bases loaded in the tenth inning and trailing 4-3, Southern Vermont's Keith Diotte dropped a single down the left field line to chase home Cam Simpson and Dave Northup for the 5-4 walk-off victory over the Daniel Webster College Eagles, at Bill Epstein Field, in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) baseball action.
Diotte had three RBI's in the win and Cody LaBadia went 2-4 to lead the Mountaineers to its first NECC victory of 2012. Dave Northup and Corey Briggs also had hits for SVC as Pat Warrington picked up the other RBI.
However, it was the pitching that kept SVC in the game as the Mountaineers went the first eight innings without scoring. Ace, Connor Murray got the start and pitched seven innings only allowing one earned run. Murray gave up five hits and one walk while striking out five. Greg Gilmore came on in relief and earned his second victory of the week. Gilmore pitched three innings and allowed one run, unearned, on three hits and struck out two.
Tyler Bonin and Korey LeLievre each had two hits for the Eagles. Bonin and Josh Chasse had the only DWC RBI's in the game. Chasse, Elliot Kilgore, Erick Bourdeau and Ryan Dupont also all picked up a hit in the series finale.
LeLievre pitched eight innings and only allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and no walks. Rich Lizotte earned the loss allowing two runs in one plus innings of work.
Daniel Webster struck first in the second when LeLievre doubled to left center to start the frame. He went to third on an SVC error and came home on a double play. The Eagles were held scoreless for the next four innings before they struck again in the seventh. LeLievre got it all started again when he reached on an error. Bordeau single and both moved up on a Lizotte sacrifice bunt. Bonin made the score 2-0 on a RBI ground out and Bordeau scored after a passed ball.
The Mountaineers started its comeback in the bottom of the eighth after the Eagles had shut SVC out for 19 straight innings. Rob Murawski reached on an error, and Dave Northup singled through the left side. After a Briggs single scored Simpson, Diotte grounded out and Warrington hit a sacrifice fly to knot the score at three.
In the tenth the Eagles took another lead when Bonin led off with a single. He moved to second on a passed ball and raced to third on a Dupont bunt single. Chasse gave Daniel Webster the lead when he hit a sacrifice fly to right field that chased home Bonin.
Southern Vermont wasn't fazed however, and made its second comeback of the evening when Simpson started the final inning with a walk. Northup then went to sacrifice bunt, but reached first on an error that also moved Simpson to third base. Briggs then reached on a catcher interference to set up the Diotte heroics.
SVC is now 4-13 and 1-2 in NECC play. The Eagles drop to 5-9 and 2-4 in conference play. The Mountaineers are 2-0 at home and will have four games at Bill Epstein field this week with a non-conference game Thursday against Norwich and a three game set against Newbury next weekend.