Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short as Baseball Loses to Washington College 12-10

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington College (20-3, 5-1)	0	4	2	0	0	2	2	0	2	12	15	1
Swarthmore (16-8, 2-4)	0	0	0	2	0	3	0	0	5	10	7	2
@ Swarthmore, PA | Clothier Field

Pitching
Win: Michael Long (3-0) - Washington College
Loss: Kyle Crawford (4-2) - Swarthmore
Save: Matt Christopher (1) - Washington College

Washington College Batting
2B: Sean Connole; Dwight Wilcox 2; Daniel Wu
3B: Scott Matthews
HR: John Rolewicz

Swarthmore Batting
2B: Anthony Montalbano; Spencer Ross; Rory McTear
3B: none
HR: Michael Cameron

full stats

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - A five-run bottom of the ninth brought a healthy dose of drama to what appeared to be a blowout, but the Swarthmore College baseball team (16-8, 2-5) couldn't quite overcome a seven-run ninth inning deficit and fell to the Washington College Shoremen, 12-10.

The Garnet, who left the tying run standing on second base, have now lost three games in a row for the first time this season.

Junior right fielder Tim Kwilos was the only Swarthmore batter with a multi-hit game, as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Mike Cameron hit his third home run of the season as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning.

The Garnet fell behind early, as senior starter Kyle Crawford lacked his best stuff and allowed four runs in the second and two in the third. Swarthmore began to chip away in the fourth, scoring twice on junior centerfielder Rory McTear's double, but Washington got both runs back in the sixth when a pair of errors allowed two unearned runs across.

Down 8-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Garnet put two men on with two out before Cameron hit the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a barely-fair three-run homer, closing the gap to 8-5. As was typical of the afternoon, however, Washington reclaimed two of the runs in the seventh and tacked on two more in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the inning, on the wrong end of a 12-5 score, the Garnet gathered all its fight to stage a dramatic rally, putting the outcome of the game in serious question. Senior pinch hitter Zach Schmidt led off the inning by reaching on an error, and walks to freshman shortstop Danny McMahon and sophomore leftfielder Nicko Burnett loaded the bases for Kwilos, who singled in the first run of the inning. A wild pitch and a two-run double from senior first baseman Spencer Ross later, the score stood at 12-9 with the tying run on deck.

Two more walks loaded the bases for Schmidt's second at-bat of the inning, and he took ball four to force in Swarthmore's tenth run. With the tying run on second and the winning run on first, Washington's third pitcher of the inning induced McMahon to ground out, ending the threat at 12-10.

Senior Zach Weiner relieved Crawford in the third and threw 3.2 impressive innings, striking out three and walking none while allowing no earned runs. Senior Adam Hardy threw a scoreless inning and a third.

Swarthmore hopes to snap its three-game skid on Saturday as the team travels to Johns Hopkins for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:30 pm.