Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

Box Score

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Bowdoin College third-baseman Chris Bucci went 3-4 with three runs batted in to lead the Polar Bears to a 5-2 win over Williams in Game One of the NESCAC Tournament on Saturday in Brunswick.

The Polar Bears (28-6-1) advance to the winner's bracket, where they will play Middlebury on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Williams falls to 29-10 and will face Tufts in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon at Colby with gametime set for 2:00 p.m.

The Polar Bears got on the board in the second inning following a Williams error that led to a bases-loaded situation with two outs. Chris Bucci ripped a Dan Benz offering into the right-center gap to score Nick Lawler and Joe Berte, giving Bowdoin a 2-0 edge. Williams cut into the lead in the fifth frame as Sean Gleeson plated Ryan Fote with an sacrifice fly. But Bowdoin avoided any further damage when right-fielder Jon Lawrie nailed Mike Overand at home, trying to score from second base on a Chris Kenney single to end the frame.

The Polar Bears added a run in the sixth frame on another RBI single from Bucci, and got a bases loaded walk from Berte in the seventh to push the lead to 4-1. But Williams mounted a major threat in the top of the eighth inning, loading the bases with no one out against Bowdoin starter Trevor Powers. But the Polar Bears' senior captain picked-off Kenney at second base to get the first out of the inning. After a passed ball scored Gleeson to cut the lead to 4-2, Max Pinto sliced a sinking liner to centerfield, where Bowdoin's Jared Lemieux made a spectacular diving catch, and doubled-off Paul Morgan at second base to end the inning.

Bowdoin added another run in the eighth on a Lawrie RBI single, and Mark Bulger nailed down the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to get his third save of the year. Powers allowed one earned run, scattering six hits in a gutty performance. Benz allowed two earned runs over six innings in his first loss of the season for Williams.