Winter Haven, Fla. - The Colby Baseball team pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory against Union College, erasing a five-run deficit to secure a 10-7 win in Winter Haven, Florida. After falling behind 7-2 through five innings, Colby's offense ignited in the late stages while the bullpen shut the door to complete the comeback.
Colby struck first in the second inning when
Corey Aubuchon doubled to left-center to drive in
Liam Shea-Gallagher. Moments later,
Patrick Shrake padded the lead with an RBI double of his own. However, Union responded with a heavy middle-inning surge, scoring seven unanswered runs between the third and fifth innings to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
The Mules began their climb back in the sixth. After loading the bases,
Jeb Burkhart drew a walk to force in a run, followed by a sacrifice fly from Aubuchon. Shrake then notched his fourth hit of the day, an RBI single to right, to cut the deficit to 7-5.
In the eighth, pinch-hitter
Max Diamond provided a massive spark by launching a solo home run to left-center, bringing Colby within a single run.
The drama peaked in the ninth inning.
Tony Silva led off the frame with a clutch solo home run down the right-field line to tie the game at 7-7. The Mules weren't finished; after loading the bases once more,
Henry Silva delivered the decisive blow, a bases-clearing double to left-center that drove in three runs and gave Colby its first lead since the early innings.
While the hitters provided the late-game heroics,
Matt Mahoney was dominant on the mound to earn the win. Entering in the seventh with the bases loaded and the game on the line, Mahoney escaped the jam and went on to strike out seven batters over 2.2 hitless innings of relief.
Shrake led the offensive charge with a 4-for-6 performance, while
Corey Aubuchon finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs. With the win, Colby moves to 10-4 on the season and is back in action on Friday for their first NESCAC match up of the season against Middlebury at 11am and 1:30pm.
