In Saturday's doubleheader, the Jeffs' bats were cold as they ran into two very tough Trinity pitchers. In game one, senior pitcher Chris Edgar pitched a quality start, giving up three earned runs on four hits in six innings. Edgar also walked four and struck out four. However, Edgar did not receive any offensive support, as the Jeffs were not able to muster a run off of pitcher Tim Kiely. Despite out-hitting Trinity 6-4, the Jeffs were just unable to take advantage of scoring opportunities. Providing the only hits in the 3-0 loss for the Jeffs were sophomore first baseman Nat Pedley with two, and first-year outfielder Will Lawton, senior second baseman Mark Mazzone, junior catcher Neal Allar and senior outfielder Tom Scott with one apiece.
The second game of the doubleheader proved to be the same story, as Barnard of Trinity pitched a gem, and the Jeffs fell 7-1. Getting the start for the Jeffs was senior pitcher Nick Kehoe who gave up seven earned runs in an eight-inning complete game loss. The Jeffs were only able to score in the fifth inning, when they got their only two hits of the game. After senior designated hitter Jared Banner singled, Lawton drove him in with a double.
Scoring only one run in two games on Saturday, the Jeffs knew that their bats would have to wake up against St. Michael's to end their skid. On Sunday, offense was not a problem as the Jeffs scored in all but one inning. Sophomore pitcher Ryan Platzbecker received good run support, even though he didn't really need it. The sophomore hurler pitched seven innings of ball, allowing only four hits and one run. With three strikeouts and just one walk, Platzbecker earned the win which moved him to a stellar 4-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.84.
The Jeffs were able to put up one run in each of the first three innings, four in the fourth and two in the sixth. Leading the way was first-year shortstop and leadoff batter Andrew Thal. Thal was on base all day with three hits, scoring twice and driving in a run. Junior right-fielder Evan Bruno drove in two runs and Pedley, Allar, Banner and junior catcher Josh Card each drove in a run for the Jeffs. Card, who also threw out a potential base stealer, made it around the bases twice.
In the second game against St. Michael's, the Jeffs received another dominating pitching performance, this time from a couple of first-years. Teddy Blank and John D'Angelo combined to pitch seven innings of five-hit, one-run baseball. Blank got the start, lasting 5.1 innings and giving up one run. With one out in the top of the sixth and runners on first and second, D'Angelo came in to end any potential rally with a strikeout and a groundout.
Bruno had gotten the Jeffs on the board in the bottom of the fifth, doubling home third baseman Brendan Powers '09, who led off the inning with a single. In the bottom of the sixth, with the score tied 1-1, Allar hit a sacrifice fly to right to score the eventual game-winner as Scott tagged up from third base. The rest was all D'Angelo, as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to seal the 2-1 victory and improve his personal record to 3-1. On the season, hitters are batting just .209 against the first-year.
With the big two victories over St. Michael's, the Jeffs were confident traveling to face nearby opponent Westfield State College. Senior pitcher Brian Donahue got the start for the Jeffs and pitched five innings, surrendering three unearned runs. Donahue struck out five and walked zero.
The bats got started from the get go. In the first inning Allar hit a two-out single to bring in Thal who had singled and stolen second base. In the second inning, Mazzone hit a two-out double and scored on a Thal single. The bats did not stop producing, as Amherst scored another in the third, and a total of nine in the next three innings to conclude the scoring.
Every starter for the Jeffs had a hit and either scored or drove in a run. The guys at the top of the lineup really paced the Jeffs, as Thal had three hits and two RBIs and Scott added two hits and two RBIs. Banner continued his hot hitting, going 3-5 with a run. Banner's performance improved his average to a team-leading .406.
Lawton had a huge game, hitting his first collegiate home run and driving in two runs. Bruno, who has really broke out the last few games, drove in a run and scored twice. Card had two hits and made it around the bases three times.
Kehoe was relieved by D'Angelo after facing two batters in the sixth inning. After walking the first batter he faced, the rookie pitcher was in a bases loaded, no outs situation. However, D'Angelo showed great poise, striking out the next batter and forcing an inning-ending double play. In the seventh he struggled a little, allowing three runs as Westfield State pulled within six runs. However, the Jeffs demonstrated their depth as usual shortstop Thal came in to pitch two scoreless frames to end the game.
Overall, the Jeffs were able to rebound after a poor start to the weekend. The pitching was pretty much present all weekend, and despite the inconsistent offense, the Jeffs know that their pitching and defense will dictate how far they go.
"Our offense has been a little inconsistent this season," said Pedley. "However we have gotten key hits in timely situations. We've had some magic in past postseason games and we hope that will continue into this year's NESCAC Tournament. Similarly, we will have to rely on good pitching and solid defense in order to succeed and make this season a memorable one."
With a big three-game series at Hamilton this weekend, the Jeffs will look to clinch that final playoff spot. With one win they will do it, and they have the potential to be a dangerous team in the postseason.
"The weekend started poorly for us, but we bounced back with three straight wins," said Banner. "At this point, we are just trying to improve and hit our stride as the regular season comes to an end. If we finish strong, we will have a chance to make some noise in the NESCAC Tournament."
NESCAC Notes
The Jeffs are currently second in the NESCAC West, with a 6-3 conference record. They are behind Williams College who is 9-3, and just ahead of 7-5 Middlebury College. The Jeffs, need to get just one game off Hamilton who has struggled all year, posting a 2-7 record in the conference. The NESCAC East is lead by three teams, as Tufts University leads the conference with a 10-2 record, and Bowdoin and Trinity Colleges are 8-3 and 8-4, respectively. Colby and Bates Colleges, on the other hand, are 2-9 and 1-11, respectively.