The Hamilton College baseball team played its first NESCAC West Division game of the season Friday, opening a three-game series at Amherst with an 18-8 loss to the hosts, who are ranked 21st nationally. Andrew Haser '17 hit a school-record three home runs for the Continentals, who are now 9-6 on the season.

Haser hit his home runs in consecutive innings, giving him five this season (two short of the program's single-season mark) and 10 in his 71-game collegiate career (three away from another school record). After striking out in his first at-bat, he led off the fifth with a home run, hit a two-run homer in the sixth and hit another solo shot with two outs in the seventh.

The Continentals fell behind 12-0 before scoring eight times over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Haser's first home run started a three-run fifth-inning rally. Chris Collins '17 and David Rose '16 followed the home run with a double and a single to put runners on first and third; both scored on errors by Amherst's pitcher and first baseman.

Ryan Wolfsberg '17 drew a walk to start the sixth and after Haser's two-run home run, the next three Continentals reached base. Collins reached on another of Amherst's four errors, Rose doubled and Jordan Northrup '19 bunted for a hit to bring in a run. Hamilton's fourth run scored when Amherst's catcher mishandled a third strike.

Amherst (11-2) had 20 hits and capitalized on five errors by the Continentals, leading to eight unearned runs.

Harry Roberson led the hosts with three singles and a double, driving in six runs. He singled in a pair of runs in Amherst's six-run second, singled in one of Amherst's five fourth-inning runs and capped a five-run fifth with a bases-loaded double.

Anthony Spina was four-for-five including a solo home run and Ariel Kenney scored four runs. Spina, Dave Cunningham and Joe Feldman each scored three runs.

Rose and Northrup both finished with a pair of hits.

The teams conclude their weekend series with a noon doubleheader on Saturday, April 2.