Final Score: Vermont 9, Bucknell 7 | Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Home runs by Miguel Magrass (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Justin Milo (Edina, Minn.), and a three-run triple by Matt Duffy (Milton, Mass.) lifted Vermont to a 9-7 win over Bucknell in college baseball Thursday afternoon at Manatee Community College. The win is the second straight for the Catamounts (3-5) who improve to 3-2 on their annual spring break trip to Florida.

UVM trailed, 3-2, heading into the seventh before tying the contest when Jeff Nolet (Concord, Mass.) stole home on the front end of a double steal. With two outs, the Cats loaded the bases on a pair of walks before Duffy cleared them with a triple to center field. The Bison made it 6-4 with a run in their half of the seventh. Vermont again loaded the bases with two down in the top of the eight and Milo drilled his first home run as a Catamount, a three-run shot to right center, to give UVM a 9-4 advantage.

Bucknell scored twice in the bottom of the eighth but could not get any closer after a pinch hit, solo homer by Jason Buursma with two outs in the ninth as Duffy picked up his second save in as many days.

Cats starter Eric Thompson (Norwich, Conn.) went six and two-third innings allowing four runs to pick up his first victory of the season. The senior lefty walked two and struck out two in his first start. Duffy allowed just the solo homer in the ninth in an inning and a third on the mound.

Bucknell (5-5) out-hit Vermont, 16-10, but the Catamounts took advantage of eight bases on balls as every player in the UVM lineup reached by either a hit or a walk. Also, five Vermont hits went for extra bases. In addition to the big blows by Milo (2-for-5) and Duffy, Nolet went 2-for-3 with two doubles and Magrass went deep for the second time this spring, a long blast leading off the fourth.

Duffy had a 2-for-5 day at the plate and has now hit safely in the first eight games of his collegiate career with a team-best .371 batting average. Magrass leads the Cats with 10 RBI and is now seventh all-time at Vermont with 102 career runs batted in.

UVM plays Miami-Ohio Friday night at 7:30pm at Manatee Community College before wrapping up its week in Bradenton Saturday taking on Bradley at 2:30pm at the IMG Academy.