Hamilton College's Joe Jensen '15 tallied four hits, three stolen bases and two RBI as the Continentals split a non-conference doubleheader with Keuka College at DeLutis Field in Rome, N.Y., on April 17.
Hamilton (11-16 overall) dropped the first game, 12-5, and bounced back for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap. Five of the Continentals' last six games have been decided by one run. Keuka snapped a five-game losing streak.
Colin Henneberger '14 (3-1) was dominant on the mound in Game 2 for Hamilton. Henneberger allowed only two hits and two earned runs (three total) and struck out six in 5.2 innings. Tommy Moriarty '14 pitched the final 1.1 innings and set a school single-season record with his fifth save in 20 appearances.
Jensen finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases. Brian Ferrell '16 collected a double and a single, Nick Taylor '15 singled and drove in a run and Ben Goffin '15 also had an RBI.
Keith Dailey '16 had three of the Storm's five hits and posted three RBI. Gavin Corbin '14 singled and scored two runs. Greg Starks '14 (1-1) took the loss after he gave up six runs on five hits in four-plus innings.
Keuka (3-16) opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the first inning. Henneberger quickly retired the first two batters, but Corbin walked and John Borchert was hit by a pitch. Dailey smacked a two-run double to straight-away center for a 2-0 lead.
Hamilton responded with single runs in the first and third innings. Jensen led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right field. He stole second, and after a walk to Gabe Klein '13, the Continentals pulled off a double steal that put both runners in scoring position. Goffin drew a two-out walk and loaded the bases, and a wild pitch allowed Jensen to score.
Zack Becker '16 was hit by a pitch leading off the third inning and Klein walked. Another successful double steal put runners on second and third for Goffin, who plated Becker with a sacrifice fly.
The Storm took back the lead with a run in the top of the fourth, but left the bases loaded. Borchert and Keith Prestano '14 were hit by pitches and Billy McDermott '16 reached on an infield error that loaded the bases with two outs. Another infield error allowed Borchert to score and kept the bases loaded, but Henneberger struck out the next batter and ended the inning.
The Continentals took their first lead of the doubleheader with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Klein led off the inning with a double and Goffin reached on a fielding error. Sam Fuentes '13 laid down a perfect bunt that turned into a hit and the pitcher's throw to first sailed into foul territory, which allowed Klein to score. Tim Burke '16 was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases, and Taylor's infield single put Hamilton on top, 4-3. After Fuentes was forced out at home on a fielder's choice, Jensen lined a hit to left field that knocked in two insurance runs.
Keuka rallied in the seventh inning, but left the tying run on first base. Consecutive singles by Justyn Schuck '14 and Corbin put runners on the corners with one out. Borchert's ground out plated Schuck, and Dailey's single up the middle scored Corbin and cut the Storm's deficit to 6-5. Moriarty ended the game by coaxing a ground ball to second base.
In the opener, Keuka put up nine runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Josh Mead '14 pitched his first complete game this year. Mead gave up three earned runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked four.
Borchert went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored for the Storm. Prestano racked up three hits, including a double, and three RBI. Schuck drove in a pair of runs and Corbin finished with a double, a single and two RBI.
Jensen and Ferrell recorded two hits apiece for the Continentals. Jensen went 2-for 3 with his third triple and a stolen base. Ferrell had a double and scored a pair of runs. Goffin smacked an RBI double in his only at bat. Cole Dreyfuss '16 (3-2) allowed four earned runs in the first inning and took the loss. Joe Wagner '14 had a solid relief outing with one earned run in 3.1 innings.
Schuck drew a one-out walk in the first and Corbin singled to left. A wild pitch put runners on second and third for Borchert, who drove in both with a double to left field. A groundout moved Borchert to third, and with two outs Prestano hit a towering fly that landed by the pitcher's mound untouched and scored Borchert.
Conner Anderson '15 drove in Prestano with a double, and after McDermott reached on an error, Thomas Drumm '16 knocked in Anderson with a single to left field. Thomas drew a walk and loaded the bases, and Schuck hit a two-run single up the middle for a 7-0 advantage. A two-RBI double by Corbin provided the final runs in the inning for the Storm.
Hamilton resumes NESCAC West Division play with a doubleheader against Amherst College at home on Saturday, April 20. Keuka hosts Lancaster Bible for a doubleheader on Saturday.