Baseball burns through weekend

The baseball team had an offensive explosion this past weekend, scoring 38 runs in four games on the way to a three-win weekend, featuring captain Chris Simpson ’08 tying the single season Wesleyan home run record.

The squad took on NESCAC rival Bowdoin on Saturday in two non-conference games. Bowdoin came out swinging in game one, scoring six runs in the first en route to a 10-2 lead. But the Cardinals came roaring back with eight runs in the bottom of the third to tie it at 10-10, led by Simpson’s record-tying three run homerun.

“It wasn’t anything special, I was just trying to help the team out,” Simpson said.

He became just the fourth player ever to hit eight home runs in a season at Wesleyan, joining Frank Barrett ’87, Mark Consorte ’92 and Alexander Brooks ’06.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Simpson said. “It’s an honor.”

After allowing one run in the top of the fourth inning, the Cardinals came back with four runs in its half of the frame, taking the lead for good on the way to a 17-12 victory.

Bowdoin jumped out again in game two, taking a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Wesleyan responded with another big inning, scoring five to take a 5-4 lead. After Bowdoin came back with one more in the top of the sixth, the scoring was capped by a bases loaded single by Drew Dominguez ’09 to give the Cardinals a 6-5 lead. Louis Gabel ’08 pitched a scoreless seventh to ice the victory.

The team came back for another doubleheader on Sunday, this time facing non-conference foe MIT in front of the largest crowd of the season. Neither team was able to get on the board through the first four innings of the first game, however, as Kit Tholen ’08 and MIT’s Stephen Toth were able to shut down the opposing bats.

The Cardinals got to Toth in the bottom of the fifth, though, scoring six runs and knocking the starter out of the game. Tholen pitched six shutout innings before relinquishing the mound to Eliezer Oberman ’11 who closed out the game, despite allowing five runs in the seventh.

MIT came out with six quick runs in the first two innings of the second game, on their way to an 11-7 victory. The Cardinals made it close, following the second three-run home run in as many days for Brice Kelly ’10, but were never able to take the lead away from the Engineers.

With seven games remaining (eight if the postponed Hamilton game gets rescheduled), Simpson is poised to break the home run record. However, a playoff berth would be even nicer.

“I would trade each of those home runs for a chance to play in the NESCAC playoffs,” Simpson said.

At 4-4 in conference play, the Cardinals sit in third place in the NESCAC West, one spot out of the playoffs. They trail first place Amherst (8-3) by two and a half games, and second place Williams (6-2) by two games.

The Cards will have a chance to decrease that deficit with three extremely important games against Williams this weekend. The first two games will be this Saturday at Williams and the third will be Sunday at home.