Baseball splits doubleheader with Bowdoin

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Colby College baseball team received a two-run home run from Jason Buco and three hits from Brendan Gallagher to take a 7-5 win over Bowdoin College in the nightcap of a doubleheader in NESCAC play Saturday.
 
The Polar Bears scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 6-5 win in the opener.
 
Colby moved to 13-14 overall and 3-6 in NESCAC East action, while Bowdoin moves to 17-12 overall and 5-4 in the league.
 
The Mules were able to hold off a late Bowdoin rally to take the 7-5 win in the second game. Down 2-1 in the fifth, Colby took the lead on run-scoring hits by Robb Arndt and Gallagher. Bowdoin tied the game on a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the frame by Dan Findley, but the Mules answered with a decisive four-run sixth inning. Buco delivered the big blow - a two-run home run - and Devlin McConnell plated Arndt with a single later in the inning. Mastrocola capped the frame with a double-steal of home to give the Mules a 7-3 lead. Bowdoin scored once in the sixth and ninth and had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, but reliever Connor Sullivan struck out the final batter to earn the save.

Dakota Rabbitt earned the win with six innings of work, allowing three earned runs and scattering nine hits. Bowdoin's Jon Lefeber took the loss by permitting four earned runs over five innings. Bowdoin committed seven errors in the game, but had three hits apiece from Tim McGarry and Findley. Gallagher had two RBI to go with his three hits, while McConnell, Nik Atsalis, and Arndt all had two hits.

Down 3-1 late in game one, Colby rallied for one run in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Mastrocola to trim the lead to 3-2. Bowdoin closer Ian Edwards came into the game in the seventh and quickly retired the first two batters, putting the Mules one out away from defeat. But Buco reached on an error and came around to score on another error to tie the game at 3-3. After a single by Ardnt put runners on first and third, Mastrocola delivered a base hit that put Colby ahead and Ardnt came home on an error on the relay throw to give the visitors a 5-3 lead.

Erik Jacobsen led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk for Bowdoin and, after a flyout, pinch runner Chris Cameron advanced to third on a single by Lefeber. Jordan Edgett reached on an error, bringing home Cameron from third to make it 5-4 Mules. After another Bowdoin pop up, Dan Findley delivered a two-out, run-scoring single to knot the game and Luke Regan followed with a single through the left side to score Edgett and give Bowdoin a 6-5 win.
 
Tim Welch earned a no-decision with 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs. Brady Hesslein took the loss for Colby by permitting five earned runs over 6.1 frames. Ian Edwards earned the win in relief for the Polar Bears, who got four hits from Lefeber. Colby was led by three hits from Mastrocola and two runs apiece from Atsalis and Buco.