BOX SCORE
WALTHAM, Mass. - The Williams College baseball team scored eight
runs in the first two innings of a 15-5 victory over Bowdoin in the
opening round of the NESCAC Tournament on Friday afternoon. The
Ephs advance in the winner's bracket to play Tufts on Saturday
morning at Tufts University's Huskins Field beginning at 10:30 am.
The Jumbos defeated Wesleyan University in Friday afternoon's other
first-round game, 5-4. Bowdoin and Wesleyan will play an
elimination game at Bentley on Saturday at 10:30 am.
Williams tallied 18 hits and capitalized on Bowdoin's erratic
pitching and poor defense to take a commanding lead from the very
early stages. The Ephs scored three runs in the first inning and
five in the second, four of them unearned. Bowdoin starting pitcher
Carter Butland put himself in an early hole by allowing two singles
to start the game and then walking three of the next five batters.
Butland, who took the loss to fall to 3-3, was unable to record an
out in the second inning and was lifted after two batters.
Williams lead-off man Stephen Maier was on base four times and
scored three runs. The sophomore CF belted a two-run home run in
the fourth inning to extend the Ephs' advantage to 10-0. He was one
of three Ephs to have a three-hit day, along with senior designated
hitter Robin Allemand and sophomore shortstop Cameron Susk.
Allemand had an RBI sacrifice fly in the first inning and then RBI
singles in the second and sixth, as Williams scored runs in all but
the third inning of play.
Although they did record 14 hits, the Bowdoin offense did not
produce much thunder until the seventh inning. Trailing 12-1, the
Polar Bears put together a four-run rally, capped by a two-run
double by junior RF Joe Comizio and the third hit of the day for
senior 1B Kevin Zikaras, his second run batted in.
Sophomore Harry Marino pitched six innings for Williams and
allowed only one earned run on seven hits while striking out four.
Marino improved to 3-2 on the season after picking up the win.
Sophomore Ben Oliva (Pacific Palisades, CA) closed the game for him
with a scoreless two and a third innings.
Only eight of the 15 runs the Polar Bears allowed were earned,
as Bowdoin made five errors in the field. Bowdoin pitchers struck
out just three Williams batters but issued eight walks, and hit two
Ephs with pitches.
