PHOENIX, AZ -- There will be no 0-5 start to the season in 2010.
The Williams College baseball team can thank senior shortstop Robin Allemand for that.
Allemand's leaping snag of a hard liner with two outs and the tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed the Ephs to walk away 11-10 winners in the nightcap of a season-opening doubleheader with Southern Maine Sunday.
The Ephs (1-1) had rallied from a 7-5 deficit with six runs in the top of the seventh to take an 11-7 lead. Sophomore Evan Olseon came on to close the game out. With two outs and the bases loaded, he gave up a bases-clearing triple that made the score 11-10. Junior Dan Marcet came on to face the next batter and gave up the hard liner that Allemand leaped to snare and end the game.
Williams dropped the opener of the twinbill, 8-2. The Ephs will face Eastern Connecticut Monday at 3 p.m. EST.
The Ephs, who were the visitors in Game 2, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs in the first. Stephen Maier opened frame with a single and stole second. After an out, senior captain Al Mathews laced an RBI-single. Allemand followed with a single that chased Mathews to third and Chad Brown scored the run with a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore Eddie Nadel got the start for the Ephs and lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, all earned, in six hits and one walk. He did not strike out a batter and left with a 5-3 lead. Matt Berdoff hurled the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on three hits and two walks. He was the victim of a four-run bottom of the sixth that left the Ephs trailing 7-5.
Williams 7th inning rally began when Allemand reach on a single and one-base error. Brown followed with an RBI--single and Susk sacrificed Brown to second. Pat Barren was hit by a pitch, and Ben Oliva drew a pinch-hit walk that loaded the bases.
With one out, Ephs' head coach Bill Barrale made the gutsy suicide squeeze call and senior Jim Entwisle delivered in style, beating out his bunt to tie the game. After a pop out, junior James Allison came through with a clutch two-run single through the right side that gave Williams a 9-7 lead. An error on the hit allowed a third run to score, and Mathews plated Allison with another insurance run with an RBI-single.
Williams banged out 15 hits in the win. Mathews, who was 6 for 8 on the day, went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Allison was 3 for 5 with two RBI, Entwisle 3 for 4, Brown 2 for 3 with two RBI and Allemand 2 for 5.
Berdoff was credited with the victory and Marcet with the save.
In the opener, the Ephs jumped out to an 2-0 lead in the first, but were shut down after that by Husky starter Mark Schmidt, who hurled a complete game seven-hitter, walking two and striking out two.
Mathews roped an RBI-double in the Ephs' first, scoring on Susk's RBI-single three batters later. He went 3 for 4 with an RBI in the loss.
Sophomore Harry Marino got the start for the Ephs, going three-plus innings and allowing six hits, four walks and striking out two. He was chased by a three-run fourth-inning by the Huskies. All four runs he allowed were earned.
Dan Grossman finished up, allowing four hits and four runs, three earned, over the final four frames. He did not walk a batter and struck out one.
