Panthers surge past NESCAC rival Wesleyan Memories of last season's heartbreak purged with 5-1 and 8-2 victories

Author: Steve Beslow

After a disappointing end to last year's season, the Panthers baseball squad is off to a spectacular start. The team began the year with a 4-4 record in their inter-league Arizona spring tournament before taking two of three from rival Williams College to open the NESCAC season. The Panthers continued their early success by sweeping a doubleheader from Wesleyan this weekend.

Following a rainout on Saturday, the Panthers wasted no time getting on the board in the first game, capitalizing on some inconsistent Wesleyan pitching. After loading the bases with one out, Joe Ramoin '06 scored easily on a John Lanahan '08 fielder's choice to short. Noah Walker '06 would score one batter later on a wild pitch from Wesleyan's Louis Gabel.

The Panthers would strike again for three in the fourth. Lanahan led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a single from Nick Lefeber '08. Lanahan would score on yet another wild pitch before Lefeber was brought in on a single from senior Alex Casnocha. The Cardinals seemed to be out of the inning after a double-play, but another error by Gabel kept the inning alive, allowing Gabe Broughton '08 to bring in Dom DiDomenico '06 with an RBI single.

The five runs were more than enough for sophomore hurler Justin Wright, who gave up an unearned run and seven hits while striking out one in seven strong innings. The win brought Wright to a perfect 3-0 on the young season.

The resounding win in the first half of the double-header no doubt gave the Panthers plenty of confidence going into the back end. Nevertheless, it was going to take a lot of innings and a wild ending to ensure a Middlebury sweep.

After giving up an unearned run in the first inning, the Panthers struck back to tie it in the second, when senior Andrew Pavoni scored fellow captain Ryan Armstrong with a sac fly to left. Middlebury took their first lead of the game two innings later, when Casnocha ripped a double down the left field line, bringing Lefeber (who had just been hit by a pitch) in from first.

Wesleyan capitalized on more shaky Panther defense, tying the game in the bottom of the seventh on yet another unearned run off of starter Jack Britton '08, who allowed only four hits and two walks while striking out seven in an extremely impressive seven and one-third innings. Middlebury's pitching held, however, and neither team scored in the eighth or ninth, sending the game into extra innings.

After being held scoreless in the tenth, the Panther offense exploded in the top of the eleventh, tallying six runs off of Wesleyan's Dusty Mones, all of which came with two out. After singles by Casnocha and Pavoni, second baseman Gabe Broughton '08 scored Casnocha from second with a single up the middle. Ramoin continued the two-out rally, ripping an RBI single through the left side. Walker followed with yet another single to left, and the rout was on. After Ramoin scored on an error at second base, Lanahan hit a two-run double to the gap in left-center, wrapping up Middlebury's scoring for the day.

First-year Matt Joseph closed out the game, giving up two hits and two walks while pitching three and two-thirds innings of shutout ball.

The sweep brought the Panthers to 8-5 on the year, with a 4-1 record in the NESCAC, giving them plenty of hope for a good showing in the perennially difficult division season. The Panthers' next challenge will be Tufts, whom the Panthers will host for two sets of doubleheaders at home this weekend. The rainout did cause one game to be rescheduled, and it will be played at Wesleyan on a mutually convenient date.