Baseball Drops Four Games

by Colin Smith 

Oberlin baseball’s win percentage took a dive this past weekend, as the team was swept in a four-game tournament in Maryville, Tenn. The Yeomen had opened the season with a double-header split at Earlham College, but the four losses over the weekend dropped their record to 1-5.
The Yeomen dropped two games to Grove City College on Saturday, March 10, by scores of 8-1 and 8-3. On Sunday they lost two to Maryville, 7-2 and 10-3. 
“We played pretty poorly,” Head Coach Eric Lahetta said. “At one time or another we destroyed all facets of the game, whether it was the defense, offense, base running, etc.”
Oberlin’s defense committed 14 errors in the four games, and has now made 26 errors leading to 26 unearned runs for the season. Oberlin’s offense was lacking in the tournament as well. The team managed just 19 hits, three Yeomen were caught stealing and 30 were left on base. 

Oberlin fell behind early in the first game, surrendering two runs in the first, four in the second and another pair in the third. Grove City went through three pitchers, but allowed Oberlin just one run. First-year Peter Wyatt produced the Yeomen’s only hit in the game.

Sophomore Zach Pretzer started for the Yeomen and surrendered all eight runs, but just three were earned. First-year Robert Smith took over in the fourth and allowed just two hits in three innings.

Oberlin took an 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in the nightcap, but Grove City answered with a run in the top of the second and two in the third. The score was still 3-1 in the sixth, when Grove City erupted with five runs that sealed their victory.
“I think I pitched the first five innings pretty well,” Wyatt, who started the game, said. “But I got into trouble in the sixth.” Wyatt pitched through the sixth and finished the day having allowed eight runs on 14 hits.
First-years Chris Bamat and John Damron each went two for four, and Pretzer stole three bases in the loss.
First-year Troy DeWitt started the first game against Maryville on Sunday and pitched all seven innings. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, but just one run was earned, as the Yeomen made five errors. “It is a shame that we are wasting some pretty good outings by the pitchers. Troy DeWitt pitched well enough to win,” Lahetta said.

Oberlin’s offense gave DeWitt just two runs of support on six hits. Two of those hits were provided by the team’s only senior, Chris Irish. “I had been getting on base,” Irish said, “But it was nice to make some contact.” Irish has reached base in 16 out of his 24 plate appearances this season, but had not collected a hit until the Maryville games.

In the tournament’s final game Oberlin kept it close early, before Maryville pulled away. After three innings the score was 6-3, but Maryville scored two in the fourth and two in the fifth to take the game, 10-3. Damron, coming off a complete-game win against Earlham, lasted four innings and surrendered eight runs on 12 hits. Irish continued to swing the bat well, going two for three with a stolen base and two runs scored.
“Hopefully they’ll follow my lead,” Irish said of his younger teammates. “They want to be successful, and I think that drive will help them move beyond the errors. I think we’ll get it together sooner rather than later.”

The double-header scheduled for Wednesday against Thiel College was canceled, affording the Yeomen an extra day of practice. “I would’ve like to play,” Wyatt said, “but it was probably better that we didn’t play.”

The team will play, weather-permitting, two games at home against Penn State-Behrend on Saturday, and two more at home against La Roche on Sunday.
“Behrend is a good team to measure yourself against,” Irish said. “They’re similar to us. Hopefully there will be a decent crowd and we’ll put on a decent show.”

 

 

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