Baseball
Has Something Extra in 2002 Opener
by Colin Smith
The
Oberlin baseball team made up for an opening day rainout by playing
some extra baseball on Wednesday, as they split a double header
at Thiel College that lasted 17 innings.
After Oberlins scheduled doubleheader at Earlham was washed
out on Saturday, the teams season instead began with Wednesdays
trip to Greenville, Pa., where the Yeomen played a pair of games,
winning the first 5-4 and losing the second 3-2.
Its
the best two games Ive seen in my three years, captain
Bob Montag, the teams sole senior, said of the tight contests.
The scheduled seven innings were not enough for the opener, as the
game wasnt decided until first-year Kyle Neumeier singled
home sophomore Troy DeWitt in the 10th to give the Yeomen a 5-4
lead which they held for the bottom of the inning.
I knew as soon as [Neumeier] hit it I was going to score,
DeWitt said. But I didnt know if it would be the winning
run.
Oberlin had fallen behind early in the contest, as the first inning
provided an unpleasant reminder of last seasons defensive
woes. The Yeomen made a pair of errors in the opening frame which
contributed to a three-run inning for Thiel. Two of the runs were
unearned.
Oberlin got a jump start in the fifth when junior Zach Pretzers
bases-loaded single put them on the board, plating first-years Andrew
Caprariello and Steve Willever.
The Yeomen still trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning before
Pretzer and sophomore Ian Haynes hit back-to-back singles and scored
on a groundout by sophomore Chris Bamat and a single by sophomore
John Damron, respectively.
Thiel evened the score at four in the bottom of inning and the teams
traded scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth before Neumeiers
hit put the Yeomen up for good.
DeWitt
started the game, pitching seven innings and surrendering two earned
runs on just four hits. He struck out 10 while only walking two.
While he didnt figure in the decision, DeWitt remained in
the game to scoring the winning run as DH.
That
is definitely the best Ive seen Troy pitch, Head Coach
Eric Lahetta said of DeWitts performance.
Sophomore Peter Wyatt pitched three scoreless extra innings to pick
up the first win of the season for the Yeomen, and Pretzer led the
offense by going three for five with a pair of RBIs and two stolen
bases.
[Pretzer] really started the season out with a bang,
Lahetta said. Pretzer added a fourth hit for the day during the
second game. Caprariello also had two hits and went four for eight
for the day.
The late game ended with the tying run for Oberlin 90 feet away,
as the Yeomen got a runner to third with one out in the seventh
but couldnt bring him home.
Its kind of a bummer, DeWitt said. Our second
game we played was better than the first.
Oberlin had taken a 2-1 lead in the fourth when doubles by DeWitt
and sophomore B.J. Belville put a run on the board, but Thiel came
back with two runs in the bottom of the frame, which proved to be
enough to win it.
Sophomore Rob Smith was the tough-luck loser in the low scoring
game, pitching six innings and surrendering three runs on eight
hits. He struck out three and walked only one.
He pitched well enough to win, Lahetta said of Smith.
We had good pitching, good defense. We just didnt have
the timely hitting.
Belville went two for three, and the Yeomen defense was solid, playing
an error-free game.
I dont think Ive been on the field for that in
my 70-something games, Montag said of Oberlins errorless
game. He further praised this years team, saying We
have talent, we have depth. No more playing [just] to field a team.
The Yeomens season continues as they travel to Bluffton College
on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
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