Baseball
Ends 10 Wins Strong
by Colin Smith
With
a 3-2 victory over Grove City College in the first game of the Yeomens
final doubleheader, Oberlin gained its 10th win of the season. Oberlins
baseball team had not been in double figures in the win column since
1988s record-tying 15-win campaign.
The
team had set a goal of matching those 15 wins, which made the end
of the season bittersweet, the teams lone senior,
Bob Montag, said. Its somewhat disappointing, but it
was successful in that it was six more wins than last year.
Last years team finished 4-35.
In the teams final victory, sophomore Troy DeWitt again led
the way for the Yeomen, throwing a complete game four-hitter against
Grove City. He gave up just two runs, only one of which was earned,
while walking only one.
Montag, sophomore Ian Haynes, and first-years Kyle Neumeier and
Steve Willever provided the offense, combining to go four for 10
with three runs scored and an RBI.
Prior to getting blanked 13-0 in the Grove City nightcap, the Yeomen
had played five consecutive games decided by two runs or less.
Oberlin
dropped a doubleheader to Pennsylvania State-Behrend by scores of
6-4 and 5-3 on Sunday. The Yeomen were hurt by poor defense in the
loss, committing five errors in the twin bill which led to a total
of five unearned runs.
First-year Ryan Drews and sophomore Rob Smith pitched well in the
games, going six innings each, while first-year Andrew Caprariello
had a strong day at the plate, going four for seven with a run scored
and a RBI in the pair.
The
Yeomen played their last games against conference opponents with
a doubleheader at Hiram on Saturday. Oberlin split, but won the
wrong game; while they won the nightcap 5-3, the early
game a make up of a rainout one week before was the
only one that counted toward the conference standings. The second
game was a seven-inning bonus game.
With the final conference loss, the Yeomen finished 2-10 in the
conference, just a game behind Hiram, but one of those wins came
against baseball giant Allegheny, who had been nationally ranked
at the time.
Thats something Im going to take with me,
Montag said of the Allegheny victory. Watching their coach
and their players react.
In
the Hiram doubleheader sophomore John Damron gave up three runs
in six and one-third innings to pick up the win, while DeWitt was
solid in the 3-1 loss, pitching eight innings and striking out eight.
Only one of the three runs he allowed was earned.
The Yeomen bats struggled in the series, managing only nine hits,
but sophomore Adam Polisei went two for three with a homerun, while
DeWitt went two for two with a pair of solo homers.
DeWitt finished the season with a team leading 3.39 ERA. He allowed
only 14 walks in 74 1/3 innings and struck out a record 68 batters
over the season. He and his teammates combined to strike out 171,
breaking the school record for strikeouts set last year. By finishing
5-5, DeWitt tied the mark for most wins by an Oberlin pitcher since
the NCACs inception.
Junior Zach Pretzer led the team offensively all season, posting
a team-high .330 batting average and .409 on-base percentage on
his way to tying the record for career steals with 59.
The teams only foreseeable loss next year will be Montag,
who struggled at the plate this year, but was solid in the field,
posting a team-high .995 fielding percentage and breaking the career
putouts record with 598 over his three seasons, including 197 this
year.
Somebody had to catch the ball, Montag said of his record.
I guess its sort of like my punting record [for most
career punts by on Oberlin football player]; somebody had to do
it.
The team will have a large leadership void to fill with the departure
of Montag, who captained the team with DeWitt this season.
I was the old man, Montag said of his position as elder
statesman. I heard every old joke there was. Thats okay.
They look up to you.
Pretzer will take up the role as the teams only senior next
year, with the bulk of the team being made up of juniors and sophomores.
A good-sized class of recruits is expected as well. In 2003 the
Yeomen will take another run at the 15-win record. Building off
of the best Oberlin season in 14 years, theyll have a good
start.
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