Gators enjoy twin killings

The going has gotten tough for Oberlin baseball. A 1-22 record, four straight meetings with top-ranked schools from the mid-east and the loss of two players who quit last week have all contributed to the low point the Yeomen reached during losses to Allegheny by margins of 9-2 and 14-0.

The most recent defeats, this time to the nationally fifth-ranked Gators, elicited the same comments and emotions as previous losses had. Frustration was chief among those, which isn't surprising after the team's twentieth straight loss.

The first game was close for the first five innings. Coach Eric Lahetta decided to start sophomore Eben Askins, who turned in another strong performance against a nationally-ranked squad. The decision was made so staff anchors Carson Keeble and Matt Burns would not have to pitch on two days' rest, and so they would be fresh for this weekend's clash with Heidelberg.

It was 4-1 in the fifth inning, when Askins seemed to have lost some of the energy that had propelled him that far.

"I thought I'd had it in the third, but I made it through that inning and the fourth, and they still weren't hitting the ball," Askins said. He fed the Gators a steady diet of curves, and it caught up with him in the fifth as a two-run homer sailed over the left field fence.

"Eben has pitched really well. If he can work a little on his control, he could be really productive in the next couple of years," Lahetta said of Askin's pitching this season.

This was not unusual for the Yeomen, who have made a habit of staying close with good pitching for the first few innings, then losing it in the late innings as starters fade or relievers fail to deliver.

The nightcap was little consolation, as first-year Tom Francavilla started for just the second time this season. Francavilla showed surprising poise for a first-year in addition to impressive velocity on his fastball.

Allegheny was less impressed, bashing the inexperienced righty for nine runs in four innings. Senior captain Dave Schummers relieved him, giving up five runs the rest of the way. Both pitchers surrendered homeruns to the Gators.

Perhaps the most notable hint of mental lapse was the sloppy play in the outfield. On a number of occasions, routine pick-ups of base hits to the outfield were bobbled or even missed, allowing numerous runners to cross the plate. Lahetta commented on the miscues. "Our outfielders, particularly at the corners, really need to clean up their fielding," he said. "We just can't make those types of errors." The outfielders are not the only players guilty of losing their concentration when games get out of hand, simply the most recent manifestation.

Besides losing a lot, the team's will was tested by the desertion of two players in the past two weeks. Junior second baseman Ray Cagan and senior utility infielder Rag Bloom both quit, Cagan taking his .303 batting average with him.

Lahetta said the desertions were a matter of lack of commitment. "The reason Oberlin sports are in the state they are in is because some people can't stay committed. It's our job to commit to the athletes who are loyal, and to weed out the ones who will quit. Athletics simply aren't a place for quitters."

The Yeomen have a double-header on the road against Case Western Reserve on Saturday at 1p.m., and a nine-inning home affair with Heidelberg scheduled for Sunday.

Diamond Notes:

Outfielder Chris Irish leads the team with a .328 average. He also leads with seven steals, a .484 on-base percentage, and is one of only three players yet to commit an error. The team has a .903 fielding percentage compared with opponents' .959. The team ERA is 8.48 compared to opponents' 2.45. Staff anchors Keeble and Burns have a combined 3.50 ERA. They also sport a WHIP (Walk + Hits per Inning Pitched) of 1.57, compared with the staff WHIP of 2.27. Keeble has struck out 44 batters and walked only 16. The rest of the team has walked 80 and struck out 44. Oberlin's team batting average is .219. Their opponents are batting a whopping .343.

Not in our park: The Yeomen enjoy the rare strikeout. (photo by Beth O'Brien)