Amherst, Mass. - April 25, 2019 - The Springfield College baseball team traveled to Amherst College on Thursday afternoon and escaped with a 7-5 win over the Mammoths as the Pride improved to 19-15 with the victory. With the loss, Amherst dropped to 14-12.

Freshman Brendan Kirck (Hamden, Conn.) took the mound for the Pride and pitched 3.2 innings, giving up just five hits and one earned run while striking out three. Zach Kerr (Niskayuna, N.Y.) rebounded with a solid 5.1 innings of work, holding the Mammoths to five hits as well, also fanning three batters en route to his second win of the year.

At the plate, Jack Cooney (Pittsfield, Mass.) had another productive day as he went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base, while Ryan Smith (Millis, Mass.) registered two RBI in the win.

Springfield College continued to get off to a hot start with three runs in the top of the first, beginning with a single to left from Noah Bleakley (Granby, Mass.) that scored Brandon Russo (Lisbon, Conn.), who led off the game with a walk. Next up, Jake Gleason (South Dennis, Mass.) grounded out to second, but Cooney scored to make it 2-0, before Nick Fazio (Kings Park, N.Y.) reached on an error at short, allowing Bleakley to come home, pushing the maroon and white's lead to three.

Amherst came alive with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie it, before taking a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. Responding in the top of the sixth, Smith doubled to left field, scoring Jason Bean (Middleboro, Mass.), who singled in the previous at bat, and Eduardo Martinez (Southwick, Mass.), who walked earlier in the frame. After Russo flew out, Cooney singled to center to plate Smith, making it 6-4, Pride.

Bleakley scored on an error in the top of the eighth to give the Pride an insurance run, and Amherst rallied for a run in the bottom of the frame, but Kerr remained strong and sealed the win for the visiting Pride.

Up next, Springfield College will return to Archie Allen Field on Saturday, April 27 for a critical New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader with WPI, beginning at 12 p.m.

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