The Hamilton College baseball team opened its season with a 2-1 win over Bowdoin (6-2) in Leesburg, Fla., Monday morning. Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was canceled because of weather conditions. The win marked the seventh time in 10 years that the Continentals have opened the season with a victory.
Hamilton, who scored in the fourth and fifth, held off the Polar Bears, who put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh with shortstop Andrew Haser '17 throwing out the tying run at the plate to end the game.
Ryan Crawford '15 earned his first career save, pitching three innings of one-run relief. After Bowdoin scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to pull to within a run, Crawford retired six straight Polar Bears before a single by Aaron Rosen '15 and a walk to Joshua Ellis '17 gave Bowdoin runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch-hitter Cole DeRoberto '15 hit a slow roller over the mound that Haser fielded before faking a throw to first and cutting down Rosen easily at home for the final out.
Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Steve LaRochelle '14 singled home Ryan Wolfsberg '17. Wolfsberg reached on a one-out error, moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt and advanced to third on a bunt single by Kenny Collins '14.
The Continentals added to their lead an inning later. Joe Jensen '15 – just two days removed from finishing as the national runner-up in the 400-meter dash at Saturday's NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships – led off with a double and scored on the first collegiate hit by Brett Mele '17.
Andrew Jaffoni '15 picked up his first career win, holding the Polar Bears – who had 7.5 runs per game over their first seven contests – scoreless in the fourth. He entered in relief of starter JJay Lane '15, who threw three scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Lane retired the last eight batters he faced, including all five after a 40-minute lightning delay.
Michael Staes '16 took the loss for Bowdoin. He struck out five and walked two in six innings.
The Continentals travel to Auburndale, Fla., Tuesday to continue play with a 9:15 a.m. doubleheader against Framingham State.