WATERVILLE, Maine – Sophomore
Josh Worthington (Pownal, Vt.) finished a double shy of the cycle and scored four runs, but Colby College erupted for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally past Plymouth State University, 11-9, in a non-conference baseball game at Coombs Field on Wednesday evening.
Worthington opened the game with a leadoff home run, and PSU plated two runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-4 lead. The Panthers added another run in the sixth, but Colby responded with three in the bottom half to go up 7-6. Junior
Brendan Flynn (Arlington, Mass.) roped a two-run double to cap a three-run eighth as PSU reclaimed the lead, 9-7. The Mules answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame, though, then retired the Panthers in order in the ninth to secure the win.
Plymouth State slips to 3-10, while Colby improves to 11-6.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 9, Colby 11
- Plymouth State (3-10)
- Colby (11-6)
How it Happened:
- Worthington blasted a leadoff home run to left, giving the Panthers a quick 1-0 lead.
- Colby answered with four runs in the bottom of the first.
- Worthington and sophomore Sam Salvi (Southborough, Mass.) each scored on passed balls in the third, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
- Salvi's RBI single in the fourth tied the game, and graduate student Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) followed with a run-scoring single to put PSU ahead.
- PSU loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, and Sokolski's fielder's choice extended the lead to 6-4.
- Colby belted a two-run homer to tie it before back-to-back doubles gave the Mules a 7-6 lead in the bottom half.
- Worthington tripled in the eighth and came home on Salvi's base hit to knot the game at 7-7. After a walk, Flynn crushed a two-run double to put PSU back in front, 9-7.
- The Mules responded with a four-run bottom of the eighth to reclaim the lead, 11-9, and retired PSU in order in the ninth to close out the win.
By the Numbers:
- Worthington finished 3-for-4 with a homer, a triple, four runs scored, and one RBI.
- Salvi went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Sokolski reached base three times (single, two walks), drove in two, and scored once.
- Flynn doubled, walked, and drove in two runs.
- Seniors Nick Wilson (Mont Vernon, N.H.) and Andrew Baxter (Thornton, N.H.), and junior Ross Tine (Wethersfield, Conn.) combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Tine fanned the side in the fifth.
- Freshman Brady Harvie (Windham, Maine) struck out two while facing the minimum in his inning of work.
- Colby holds a narrow 25-23 edge in the all-time series.
Up Next:
- The Panthers get back into Little East Conference (LEC) play with a doubleheader at VTSU Castleton on Friday (Apr. 4). First pitch for the opener is set for 1:00 p.m.
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