Shane Mattingly Tosses Nine Innings for WC

CHESTERTOWN, MD - Swarthmore's Mike Waterhouse went 3-for-5 with two RBI, including the game-winning RBI in the top of the 10th inning as visiting Swarthmore College downed host Washington College, 3-2, in 10 innings on Thursday afternoon at Athey Baseball Park in Centennial Conference baseball action. The Garnet improve to 12-7 overall and 4-1 in conference play, while the Shoremen fall to 8-6 and 3-2 respectively.

The two teams were tied 2-2 after nine innings. Tom Nakamura led off the top of the 10th with a walk for the Garnet and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Montalbano. Waterhouse then laced a single to centerfield which drove in Nakamura from second to put the visitors up 3-2. Swarthmore threatened to extend its lead with runners on 1st and 2nd with one away, but could not add on. Washington was retired in order in the bottom of the 10th and the Garnet came away with the win.

The Shoremen scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when sophomore John Rolewicz (Bear, DE/Salesianum) doubled and would score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of fellow classmate Ryan Normoyle (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) to make it 1-0 after one frame.

Swarthmore scored twice in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Waterhouse doubled to right field to chase in Ben Schneiderman, who led off the inning with a hit, to even the score at 1-1. With the bases loaded and two away, Washington pitcher Shane Mattingly (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) hit Miles Santo with the pitch to force in Nakamura to give the Garnet a 2-1 edge.

The Shoremen would tie the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second with one away, Swarthmore hurler Kyle Crawford balked and moved the runners to second and third. Normoyle hit a groundball to first base that was tracked down on a diving play by Michael Cameron, but allowed Rolewicz to score from third to knot the game.

In the seventh, the Shoremen had two on with one out when Swarthmore changed pitchers with Neil Mejia replacing Crawford. The first batter Mejia faced, senior Chris Keiper (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan) hit a liner to centerfield that Schneiderman grabbed on a diving catch and he would throw to second to double up the WC runner to keep the score a 2-2.

The Shoremen got the first two on in the eighth to place runners on first and second. Senior Matt Boucher (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) hit a hard liner to third base that was snagged on a leaping grab by Garnet third baseman Spencer Ross. Ross threw to second to complete the double play. Washington had first and second with two outs, but Mejia got a fly out to get out of the inning unscathed.

For Swarthmore, Ignacio Rodriguez got the victory on the mound. He tossed two perfect innings and is now 1-0 on the year. Crawford pitched the first 6 1/3 innings and Mejia tossed the next 1 2/3 innings. At the plate for Swarthmore, Nakamura was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Rolewicz, Boucher and freshman Sean Connole (Mt. Airy, MD/St. John's Catholic) all tallied two hits on the afternoon for Washington. Rolewicz scored both of the hosts' runs, while Normoyle drove in both. On the mound for Washington, Keiper takes the loss and falls to 2-1 as he pitched the 10th. Mattingly pitched the first nine innings, allowing just six hits and two runs while striking out four. He did not walk a batter.

The two sides conclude the two-game set tomorrow at Swarthmore at 3:30 p.m.