Game one on Saturday featured southpaw Dylan Joyce ’12 in a seven-inning, complete game pitcher’s duel. Scattering seven hits while striking out seven, Joyce only gave up three earned runs. The Amherst defense, however, was severely lacking, as four errors accounted for two unearned runs. The Jeff offense was also held in check, as the lineup was only able to score two runs on four hits. Despite the complete game effort, Joyce was handed the loss as the final score showed a 5-2 victory for Williams.
The bats picked up a bit in the nightcap, but it still was not enough for an Amherst win. Powered by homers from Mike Samela ’12 and Kevin Heller ’12, the Jeffs pushed across nine runs on 18 hits. The Williams offense was slightly more efficient, however, as they scored 12 runs on 16 hits. Errors were a factor once again for Amherst, as three of the Williams runs were unearned.
With the Ephs picking up steam, the Jeffs attempted to avoid the weekend sweep on Sunday behind solid pitching from Ryan Healy ’11, Teddy Blank ’10 and Hayden Metz ’12. The trio racked up six strikeouts while scattering nine hits and four runs over nine innings. The offense showed its appreciation, as the Jeffs tallied 14 hits and 10 runs. Of the 14 hits, six went for extra bases. Defensively, Amherst accumulated only one error, as the revitalized team beat out the Ephs 10-4.
The win gives Amherst a 5-4 record in the NESCAC West, good enough for the third spot in the standings. With only three games left in conference play, it is crunch time for the team. Many players realize what needs to happen in order to get a ticket into the NESCAC Championship, and although the chances are slimming down, they seem to be optimistic.
“Our team is really confident with the rest of the season,” said Samela. “We know what we have to do and we are going to work hard in practice all week to get ready for Middlebury. As far as the postseason goes, if [we] get in and play the type of baseball this team is capable of I think we have a good shot to make a run at the [NCAA] tournament.”
Playing the game while focusing on fundamentals is key for the team’s success, and there have been many times where defense has struggled. This past weekend was no exception, and the players feel that if they can hold their own in the field, then they can win ballgames.
“It was definitely a disappointing weekend, but we saw on Sunday what happens when we play good defense,” said Bob Cook ’13. “When we make the plays defensively, we’re a tough team for anyone to beat, and I like our chances this weekend [against Middlebury].”
Essentially, Amherst will need to win the rest of their conference games and hope that the two teams ahead of them in the standings (Wesleyan University and Williams) lose their conference games. If a tie takes place, the overall and head-to-head standing will be taken into consideration. Although their postseason hopes depend on the performance of other teams, the team does not expect to let up over the next few weeks, and they plan on executing the style of play that has given them previous success.
“Clearly, we were not completely satisfied with the results this weekend, but we can take some positives from the way we were able to bounce back on Sunday and get a win,” said Metz. “Overall, we played okay, but we need to improve our execution in all parts of the game, because we did not play as well as we are capable of.”
The team played again on Tuesday in a make-up game, as they took on Castleton State College. The game promised to be a challenge for Amherst, as Castleton came in with a 12-game winning streak, but a solid game on all fronts was enough for an Amherst win. With another home run from Heller and three RBI from Cook, the offense was able to push across six runs on 10 hits. The pitching was consistent throughout the game, as Jeff Keenan ’11, Blank, John D’Angelo ’10 and Pat Harris ’11 allowed only three run on five hits. With only one error in the field, Amherst cruised to a 6-3 win.
With 10 games left in the regular season, the Jeffs will look to continue playing solid baseball this weekend against conference rival Middlebury. The weekend series will feature three games, all taking place at Middlebury. The following Tuesday will consist of another road game for the Jeffs, as they travel to Brandeis College in a non-conference match up and attempt to make a run for the playoffs.