The first meeting brought an excellent pitching performance from starter Andy Kerns '04, whose record on the season improved to 3-0. Kerns allowed only four hits and tallied six strikeouts over 6.1 innings before he was relieved by senior southpaw Chris Vecsey. Closing the final two innings, Vecsey collected his second save of the season.
The Jeffs converted offensively behind the strong hitting of center fielder Paul Whiting '04, second baseman Josh Santry '05 and first baseman Dave Levinson '06, who combined for seven of the team's ten hits. In the second inning, on a series of five hits and two Bates errors, Amherst scored four runs and never turned back. In the fourth, shortstop Zach Schonberger '06 smashed his first triple of the season deep into left center and then scored off Whiting's decisive home run to left field.
Though the Bobcats attempted to come back in both the third and fifth innings, the Jeffs' tight defense and strong pitching held on for the victory.
The second game, however, was not as smooth a ride for Amherst, as they struggled offensively to get runners across home plate. The team left ten runners on base, any number of whom could have easily changed the game's outcome.
Bates seemed most vulnerable in the fifth inning, when a long string of fielding errors and pitching mistakes left Amherst with the bases loaded. In the inning, co-captain John Schneider '03 got on base after a fielding fumble, Santry was hit by a pitch, Whiting stole second uncontested and both Levinson and Tom Sullivan '04 were walked. But in the end, the Jeffs couldn't convert as sophomore Dave Powers' hard-hit line drive to third base was caught for the third out.
Finally, after seven innings tied at 1-1, Bates scored the game-winning run off of a bloop single up the middle by second baseman Adam Taranto. Vecsey came in to relieve starter Duncan Webb '04, and in the next play, Taranto stole second. From there, a sacrifice ground out and RBI single brought Taranto across home plate. In the bottom of the ninth, Amherst put up a final battle as junior Matt Potter singled to center field and Santry walked, putting two men on base. But the Jeffs couldn't come up with a clutch RBI and Bates walked away with the win.
"Though we split the doubleheader, we're not all that proud of how we played," said Kerns. "Instead of being loose, confident and dominating a clearly weaker opponent, we played not to lose." The team, though dissatisfied, has resolved to learn their lesson and move on.
Last Thursday the Jeffs met perhaps their toughest opponent of the season in defending national champion Eastern Connecticut State University. ECSU left Amherst with a 14-0 victory. Amherst had a tough hitting game, tallying only three hits, while their opponents dominated with sixteen. Santry, Levinson and Schneider led the team with a single apiece.
On the defensive end, Amherst used five pitchers-leading off with senior Jonah Ansell, who was relieved after five innings by rookies Joe Vladeck, Rob Anderson, Brant Ford and sophomore transfer Joe Houkal.
The game upped Eastern Connecticut's winning streak to nine games and confirmed their ranking as fifth in the nation.
The Jeffs return to action on April 16 against Keene State at home and travel to face NESCAC opponent Hamilton College on Friday and Saturday.