Baseball team falls 12-11 at Division 2 West Georgia
March 19, 2009

Jake Simon '11 belted his first home run of the year, a three-run shot that tied the game at 10-10 in the seventh.
CARROLLTON, Ga. -- The Bates College baseball team came up just short of winning at Division 2 opponent University of West Georgia on Thursday, as the host Wolves came from behind to win 12-11 in a wild affair at Cole Field.

Bates (2-2) will play a doubleheader at West Georgia (6-17) tomorrow starting at 1 p.m.

West Georgia led 9-4 after five innings, but the Bobcats came back with two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to take a 10-9 lead. Sophomore Jake Simon (Waterford, Conn.) led off the sixth with a walk, and sophomore Gordy Webb (Hampden, Maine) hit a double to score him. First-year Michael Ciummei (Acton, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to score Webb.

Simon hit a three-run home run in the seventh, scoring sophomore Pat Murphy (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and sophomore Chris Burke (Andover, Mass.), both of whom had singled. Webb drove in sophomore Noah Lynd (Meriden, N.H.), who walked, later in the inning on a sacrifice fly.

The Wolves took the lead back with two runs in the eighth, but Bates tied the game at 11-11 in the top of the ninth. Webb singled and gave way to pinch runner senior Tyler Maxwell (Coventry, Vt.), who scored on a sacrifice fly by Ciummei.

West Georgia put its first two batters on base in the bottom of the ninth with a walk and a hit batsmen. First-year pitcher Will Furbush (South Portland, Maine) came on to strike out Carson Tate, then induced Daniel Henley into a ground ball fielder's choice, but Michael Arnold, who had led off the inning with a walk, came home won a throwing error on the play, ending the game.

Senior righthander Chuck Murphy-Romboletti (Holyoke, Mass.) accepted the loss, dropping to 0-1 on the year. Senior Ben Shwartz (Mattapoisett, Mass.) started and went 5 innings, striking out six but allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 12 hits. Senior Ben Thayer (Gorham, Maine) pitched two innings in relief, allowing one run.

Ciummei started at third base and had a big day at the plate for Bates, going 3-4 with one run and three RBIs. Webb went 2-4 with a run and two RBIs, and Simon went 1-4 with the homer, two runs scored and three RBIs. Junior Tom Beaton (West Newbury, Mass.) went 2-4 and also scored a run. The Bobcats rapped out 12 hits in the game but committed five errors, while the Wolves had 16 hits with no errors.

Jud Jones went 4-5 for the Wolves, while Henley went 3-5 with two runs and two RBIs.

STATS: West Georgia 12, Bates 11