Baseball
Comes From Behind, Beats Case in 10
by Colin Smith
Things
are already looking better for the Oberlin baseball team. On Wednesday
the Yeomen won a game that they might not have last year, defeating
Case Western Reserve University, 5-4, on an RBI single by sophomore
Ian Haynes in extra innings after coming from behind in the ninth.
The victory over Case Western is an example of how things have changed
since 2001. With a 6-7 record in the wake of the win and a 3-5 spring
break trip to Ft. Myers, Fla., the team has already passed last
years season win total of four in just 13 games. Last year
the Yeomen dropped two high-scoring contests to Case, losing by
two in the first. In the second they came into the ninth trailing
by four and could come up with only three.
Not so this year. Instead, with Case leading 4-2 in the ninth, the
Yeomen manufactured the offense they needed. Haynes and first-year
Oliver Bleich drew back-to-back walks to open the inning. The two
executed a double steal and then scored on a wild pitch and an RBI-groundout
by first-year Andrew Caprariello.
We started out slowly, Bleich said. We werent
doing the basics. We turned it around at the end.
Sophomore co-captain Troy DeWitt, who had come on to pitch in the
eighth inning, held the Case Spartans scoreless in the 10th, despite
allowing a runner to reach third. Senior co-captain Bob Montag walked
to open the bottom. A sacrifice bunt and a Case error set the stage
for Haynes to single home sophomore pinch runner Joe Crisp.
DeWitt, who received credit for the win, improving his record to
2-1, had hit a solo homer in the eighth to pull the Yeomen within
two. He pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just
three hits and no walks while striking out seven. The home run was
the first of his college career.
He came through when we really needed him, Bleich said.
No one could touch him.
A lot of my stuff was working good, DeWitt said of his
performance. I felt like I had a lot of confidence in my fastball.
I definitely felt kind of dominant.
Sophomore John Damron started the game on the mound, getting tagged
for three runs (two earned) on three hits. Sophomore Rob Smith and
first-year Ryan Drews pitched two innings each before DeWitt took
over.
Perhaps overshadowed by Haynes and DeWitts timely hitting
was Bleichs perfect day at the plate. Bleich went two for
two, including a double, and had a pair of walks and two runs scored.
While the offense certainly seems improved, what has made the difference
so far for the Yeomen has been pitching and defense. The team ERA
has been nearly cut in half, and while the teams 37 errors
in 13 games is still high, it is a significant improvement over
last year.
The Yeomen will look to take these improvements into their first
conference games over the weekend. Oberlin will host a doubleheader
against Kenyon on Saturday and a third game on Sunday. Kenyon comes
into the series at 7-7 and will also be playing its first conference
games.
Theres teams around the conference that are thinking
about us now, DeWitt said. They know were an up-and-coming
team.
Within the conference is where the true test of Oberlins improvement
will come, as the Yeomen look to improve upon last years 0-12
conference mark.
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