Baseball Endures 'Disappointing' Season, Looks to Future

Author: David Lindholm

The Middlebury baseball team finished their campaign on the road as a 2-2 week closed out the Panthers' season. The final four games were indicative of much of the season for the team, which enjoyed a thrilling victory, received strong pitching from some young guns, but ultimately saw it end in disappointment. The Panthers finished with a final record of 12-16, and 5-7 within the NESCAC Western Division, though the season could have been turned by timely hitting in a few key situations.

The week started with a 3-0 victory over St. Michael's College, a game that was dominated by pitching on both sides, but especially by sophomore Chris Fraser, who earned the win in a fine outing. His pitching quelled the Purple Knights' offense, and paved the way for a John Prescott '03 two RBI hit in the fifth inning, a lead that the Panthers would not relinquish. Also having strong days at the plate were Richard Hightower '04, who went 2-3, and Denny Smith '03, who had a triple.

On Friday the team blew into Lewiston, Maine, finding sunny skies but also blustery, cold and windy conditions. After taking a while to warm up, both teams scored two runs in the fourth inning and one each in the fifth. The Panthers were finally able to take a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning, but Bates would not die and quickly struck back and tied the game. Once again, late-inning drama ensued as Prescott found a pitch to hit and took full advantage, knocking himself in for the game winning run, blasting a shot over the fence for a home run.

"John's homer in the ninth was a bomb," said one Panther fan that was at the game. "It sent the Middlebury parents away happy." Prescott and sophomore Jake Armstrong led the team with two hits apiece, while Jon Downs '02 had an RBI double. Ben Christensen '04 pitched well in relief to earn the win.

Unfortunately, the drama and momentum of Friday could not carry over onto Saturday's double-header, with a Bowdoin team that had been in last place in the NESCAC Eastern Division coming into the games. Middlebury had not been counting on the pitching of Polar Bear senior Scott Jamieson, who played a major role in both Bowdoin wins on the day.

Jamieson threw a two-hitter in the first game, going all seven innings as the Polar Bears mauled the Panthers by a score of 9-1. Armstrong and Brian Hamm '02 accounted for all the offense in the first game, as both had the only hits for the Panthers, and Hamm scored on Armstrong's fifth inning single.

While the second game was much closer, Middlebury was still unable to put in their best performance. The Panthers hopped out to a 3-0 lead before Bowdoin scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-3 lead. The Panthers cut the margin to 7-5 with runs in the fourth and fifth, but the Polar Bears brought in three more in the sixth for the 10-5 win. Five different Middlebury players had one hit for the Panthers, while Downs had an RBI double.

"Overall it was a disappointing season," said co-captain Hamm. "We had more talent than our record showed we did, and that's the one thing you never want to do: waste talent. It was a combination of us not playing well and the ball not bouncing our way," continued Hamm. But the senior was able to find a highlight in not only this season, but also his own career, and those of his classmates. "We [the seniors] have done what other classes have never done before. We were only two games under .500 in our career, and [when compared with teams of the past, that's pretty impressive. The seniors have taken our program to a new level, and the team now has enough talent to take it to the next level, and be competitors within NESCAC.

With the season now over for the Panthers, the team can be gratified about many exciting close games that they were able to pull out, but it will also be sure to rue the missed chances earlier in the season. The Panthers lost in close games to three NESCAC West foes: Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan, that, with a win, could have totally changed the season. An ten-inning, 11-10 loss to Williams in Fort Myers, Fla., a 2-0 loss to Amherst in 16 innings and 2-1 loss at Wesleyan each, with results reversed, would've put the Panthers in prime position for a NESCAC Tournament run. The team's 12-16 record will be seen as a disappointment, but overall the team accomplished many things, including many gutsy, close-game wins.