Wilson's walk-off grand slam lifts Panthers

            FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sophomore Rew Wilson (Niantic, Conn.) hit a dramatic walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday afternoon to lift Plymouth State University to a 10-8 victory over Colby College, earning the Panthers a split of the baseball doubleheader in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.  Colby won the first game in a pitchers' duel, 2-1.

            Wilson's grand slam, his second in as many days, capped a wild finish to the nightcap.  PSU took a 5-2 lead into the final inning, only to see Colby rally for six runs in the top of the seventh to take a 8-5 advantage.  The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the inning on two hit-batters and a walk, and after a single brought one run home, Wilson ended the game with his dramatic homer.

            Plymouth State won three of its last four games to wrap up the spring trip with a 3-7 mark, moving to 4-10 on the season.  Colby is now 5-7.

            PSU junior Bobby Chatfield (Sharon, Conn.) and Colby junior Connor Sullivan (Hamilton, Mass.) locked up in a pitchers' duel in the first game, both throwing four scoreless innings to start the game.  Colby got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, one coming home on a single by sophomore Jake Kramer (Medfield, Mass.).  The Panthers answered in the top of the sixth with a solo home run by junior Luke Merrill (Pittsburg, N.H.), but that ended up as all of the scoring.  Sullivan shut down PSU the rest of the way to earn the win with the complete-game effort, allowing just one run on six hits, while Chatfield was the tough-luck loser despite giving up two runs on four hits and a walk and striking out nine.  Junior Ryan McIntosh (Lincoln, N.H.) had a pair of doubles for PSU.

            Junior Joe Hudson (Greenfield, Mass.) surrendered just two runs on six hits through six innings of the nightcap as PSU held a 5-2 lead.  But the Mules rallied in the seventh inning off the Panther bullpen, scoring five runs on five walks and two hits, including a three-run double by junior Taro Gold (Belmont, Mass.).

            The Panther comeback in the bottom of the seventh started with McIntosh and senior Bryant Lausberg (Somersworth, N.H.) getting hit by pitches and Merrill drawing a walk to load the bases.  Junior Mike Cappiello (Westfield, N.J.) brought home one run with an RBI single and Wilson delivered the dramatic blow.

            PSU returns to New England and is scheduled to return to action Thursday against Rivier College. 

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