Baseball Wraps up Season with Loss

Middlebury (5-24, 2-10) capped its rebuilding season this weekend by splitting a close double-header against Bowdoin on Saturday, May 3 and falling twice to a terrific Tufts squad on Sunday, May 4. Captains Alex Kelly ’14 and Dylan Kane ’14 delivered memorable final performances for an appreciative Forbes Field crowd.

To preempt the rain on Saturday, the teams squared away earlier than usual and the Panthers were the first to get the worm.  In the first inning, Kelly led off with a single and Joe MacDonald ’16 drove him in with a liner to center field.

Starter Eric Truss ’15 weathered three consecutive hits in the fifth inning, allowing the tying run but then did well to escape the bases-loaded jam by forcing a foul out. In the seventh inning, a seeing-eye single would loop over the retreating second baseman and land in front of both charging outfielders, scoring a runner from second base for Bowdoin.

Ryan Rizzo ’17 knocked a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh, but Middlebury would need to wait for the second game for revenge.

Rizzo would applaud Kane’s final pitching performance in game two.

“He pitched extremely well,” Rizzo said, “getting out of multiple jams - one of which he helped himself on a sacrifice bunt, throwing out the lead runner at third. That play stuck out to me because there were many instances this year where we did not execute that defensive play, and although it seemed so small, it was a big momentum shift and a confidence boost for our team. We then ended the inning with a double play.”

The outstanding defense was complemented with a flurry of offense in the fourth inning. Jason Lock ’17, Max Araya ’16, MacDonald and Johnny Read ’17 went to work on the Bowdoin pitcher and the boys in blue exited with three runs. Jake Stalcup ’17 came in to get the save and secure the win for Kane.

“It was great to see (Kane), such a big member of our team, go out on a high note, as he got the win against a very good NESCAC opponent,” Rizzo said.

Kane finished with five innings of one-run ball, allowing just one walk and striking out three.

On Sunday, Middlebury lost by scores of 6-0 and 10-1 to a ninth-ranked Tufts team. Charlie Boardman ’17 recorded hits in both games, including a pinch-hit base knock in the first contest, and Kelly was the shining star amidst the light rain and clouds.

Kelly hit a double in fourth inning of the second game, only to be called out for allegedly missing first base on his running path. The play summed up a season of tough bounces for Middlebury, but it also showed the great leadership and attitude of Kelly. His next time up, with his teammates on their feet, he hit the ball even farther to right field and trotted out for an RBI double in his last at bat at Middlebury. Kelly went 5-14 on the weekend, including  the at-bat where he was robbed of a double by missing first base.

Kelly ends his career with a .348 average.

“Alex Kelly has been an awesome leader and mentor to the younger guys on the team,” Read said. “The kid is a living legend. He has been extremely fun to play with, and his bat will be missed next year.”

Lock and Rizzo weighed in on the future for Panther baseball.

Lock pointed to the sweaty workouts and diligent drilling of the second-years, saying, “I’ve never been around a group of guys--most notably our current sophomores--who show such a tenacious work ethic on a daily basis…Even though we may not have gotten the results we wanted this season, I think that the experience and mental toughness that our young team gained this year will drive us all to respond in an extremely positive way next season.”

Rizzo seems ready to work toward next season already.

“It won’t just happen,” Rizzo said, “it will take dedication from each and every member of the team in the weight room, in summer ball, during fall practices, and next winter.  We could be a great team, but it takes dedication and focus as well as the ability to seize the moment when it counts.”

Middlebury graduates just two players and returns a pitching-heavy class of rising seniors for the 2015 campaign. A strong freshman class is also expected to augment the team as it gears up for next season.