Baseball team finishes three-game, 32-inning day with two wins
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Bates College baseball team had about as busy a day as a team could possibly conjure on Friday, playing a total of 32 innings to complete three games and coming out on top twice.
Bates started the day with a morning date against Elms College, resuming a game that had been postponed in the first inning the day before. The Bobcats ended up topping the Blazers 12-2 in the game, completing a doubleheader sweep to raise their record to 2-0.
Next up was a doubleheader against Western Connecticut State University Friday afternoon. While both games were slated for seven innings, the teams stayed in a scoreless tie through 15 innings, before sophomore Alex Egelson (Fairfield, Conn.) hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 16th to give Bates the 1-0 win. Sophomore Ralph Vitti (Winchester, Mass.) earned the win in relief.
The third game of the day extended into the 10th inning, with Western Connecticut coming out on top 9-8. Junior Rob Schuler (Hanover, Mass.) and sophomore Brian Mahoney (Sudbury, Mass.) both had three of Bates 13 hits, with Mahoney driving in and scoring individual runs. Schuler had the lone extra-base hit out of 26 hits between the teams, with a double. Sophomores Brian Buckley (Andover, Mass.) and Denis Hogan (Franklin, Mass.) each had a pair of hits.
First-year Dan Cook (Sudbury, Mass.) was saddled with the loss. First-year starter Jason Yunginger (Clifton Park, N.Y.) was charged with seven runs over 1 2/3 innings. Classmate Lawrence Hinkle (Arlington, Va.) pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run.
Bates (3-1) plays a doubleheader against Ramapo College on Saturday to finish up its already eventful Florida trip.