WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- After falling behind 3-0, the Bates baseball team scored 12 unanswered runs to defeat Capital University 12-3 Saturday afternoon in the Bobcats' final game at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
The Bobcats (1-4) tallied 14 hits and drew a season-high 10 walks in the win. Bates is off to a strong start at the plate this season, hitting .321 as a team through five games.
On the mound, senior Justin Foley (Lynnfield, Mass.) got the start and tossed a career-high six innings to pick up the win. Foley (1-0) scattered five hits, allowed three runs (one earned), walked one and struck out a career-high 10.
The Crusaders (0-2) scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bryce Grisez tripled to start the frame. One out later, Connor Richardson hit a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Shayne Lyons reached on a hit-by-pitch and Andrew Klamforth doubled him to third. A Bates error allowed both runners to score, extending the Crusaders' edge to 3-0.
Neither team scored in the second inning and the Bobcats went to work against Capital starter Jared Heidecker (0-1) in the top of the third. Junior Kyle Carter (Plantation, Fla.) reached on an infield single to start the frame and junior Jon Lindgren (Plainville, Conn.) drew a walk. Sophomore Christian Beal (Flossmoor, Ill.) doubled in Carter to cut the deficit to 3-1. Then first-year Andrew Chi (Closter, N.J.) drove in Lindgren with a sacrifice fly, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
Down by one, the Bobcats took control of the game in the fourth inning. First-year Bryan Gotti (Westwood, Mass.) walked to lead off the frame and junior Pat Beaton (West Newbury, Mass.) followed with a single to left. Junior Giovanni Torres (North Haven, Conn.) bunted the runners over and Carter singled in both runners to put Bates up 4-3.
Carter stole second base and Lindgren and Beal drew walks to load the bases. Chi followed with an RBI single and junior captain Jack Arend (Newfields, N.H.) drew a bases loaded walk, extending the lead to 6-3 and chasing Heidecker from the game.
Senior Dan Trulli (Melrose, Mass.) greeted new pitcher Joe Caporale with an RBI walk and a passed ball scored another run, making the score 8-3 in favor of the Bobcats.
After their six-run fourth inning, the Bobcats added to their lead with a run in the sixth. Arend walked to start the inning and one out later he stole second base. With two away, Beaton drew a walk and Torres singled home Arend.
In the eighth, Arend got the offense going again, this time with a single to right field. One out later, sophomore Dan Brady (Brookfield, Conn.) delivered a pinch-hit single to to center. Sophomore Colin Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) pinch ran for Brady and Beaton doubled in both runners to make the score 11-3.
Bates added one more run in the top of the ninth. First-year Antonio Jareno (Marietta, Ga.) singled to start the frame. Junior Will Sylvia (Newton, Mass.) singled him to second and after moving to third on a passed ball, Jareno eventually scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Foley dominated the Crusaders on the mound for the first six innings. Then the Bates bullpen took over, blanking Capital for the final three innings. Sophomore Henri Pratt (Pebble Beach, Calif.) struck out one over an inning and a third of shutout ball. Junior Ryan Moralejo (Miami, Fla.) retired a pair of hitters, one via a strikeout. And junior Mark Russell (Westford, Mass.) recorded the final three outs of the game.
Beaton came off the bench to go 2-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. He is 5-10 on the young season. Chi went 2-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. Arend went 1-2 with two runs scored, an RBI and three walks. Torres finished 2-4 with an RBI and Carter finished 2-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a walk.
The Crusaders only recorded five hits, with Lyons going 2-3 with a double and a run scored.
Bates is back in action for a doubleheader at Endicott on Saturday, March 9. First pitch is set for 12pm.