Despite holding leads of 6-0 and 10-8, the Cardinals were unable to fend off the Clark University Cougars late in the game, enduring a 17-12 loss in ten innings at Dresser Diamond this past Friday, April 22.

“There’s nothing to say,” Tom Miceli ’12 said, when asked about the game.  “We’re past it.  We have three important NESCAC games this week, so it’s important to move past this game and prepare for the next.”

The Cardinals built an impressive six-run lead with a three-run homer by sept-captain Derek Dettorre ’11 in the second inning and a three-run double by Stefan Sundseth ’13 in the fourth.  Mike Barsotti ’12, in his eighth start of the season, came out pitching exceptionally strong, striking out five of the 11 batters he faced and allowing just two hits in three shutout innings.

The game looked promising for the Cardinals, despite giving up eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings.  Wes regained the lead in the bottom half of the sixth after a pair of Cougars pitchers walked four consecutive Cardinals batters to score three runs.  However, the Cardinals were again unable to maintain the lead, as the team’s defense collapsed completely, conceding 12 unearned runs on nine infield errors.  Although they leveled the score late in the eighth inning on yet another walk, the Cardinals saw an 11-11 tie in the 10th inning slip away, as the team allowed six runs on just three hits to provide the Cougars all they needed to win.

With the tough loss behind them, the Cardinals look to regain their momentum with a five-game week, starting with the NESCAC East’s top seed, Tufts, in Boston on Tuesday, and ending with a double-header at Amherst for another NESCAC West series.  This past Saturday’s double-header with Tufts has been postponed, and will be played within the next two weeks.

“I’m excited to play lots of baseball against some good teams in Tufts and Eastern Connecticut College before we go to battle with Amherst for a spot in the playoffs,” said Joey Giaimo ’11.

The Cardinals currently sit in third place in the NESCAC West with a record of 5-4 and eight league games remaining.