Author: iireland

Brash, overconfident, trigger-happy: three descriptors that consistently hound Miami Heat sharpshooter Dion Waiters, ringing in his ears each time he prepares to launch an ill-advised three-pointer. Waiters’ six-year stint in the NBA has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Drafted in 2012 by a LeBron-less Cavaliers team desperate for an offensive spark, the Syracuse University alum proceeded to play 60 games and shoot just north of 40% from the floor. Despite this uninspiring number, Waiters developed a reputation for catching fire out of nowhere and rattling off series after series of jaw-dropping circus shots. These occasional bursts of brilliance, coupled with Waiters’ unmitigated belief that he was the NBA’s best player, prompted sportswriter Zach Lowe to coin the phrase “Waiters Island”—a mythical stretch of land populated by zealots who believed that Waiters did, in fact, possess the tools to become an elite basketball talent.

The phrase stuck. Memes depicting Waiters sunbathing on a patch of sand flooded the internet almost overnight, and sports analysts ridiculed those pundits foolish enough to “lease property” on a site as precarious as Waiters Island. In the span of a single season, the sporting world transformed Waiters from a talented prospect and potent offensive presence to the butt of a joke.

Waiters remained on the Cavs for two more unremarkable seasons, after which he was shipped off to Oklahoma City and instructed to play the Robin to Russell Westbrook’s Batman. Though he averaged under 10 points per game during the 2015-16 season, Waiters came within 12 minutes of facing his former team in the 2016 NBA Finals. Instead, heartbreak ensued. A historic collapse by the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals handed the Golden State Warriors a trip to the finals and dashed Waiters’ hopes of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Fall of 2016 saw Waiters basking in the warmth of South Beach, having just signed a contract with a young and hungry Heat team. To say the season began as a disaster would do both the players and coaching staff a generosity. Waiters was sidelined for 20 games due to a groin injury, and the Heat dropped to a league-worst 11-30 record as the All-Star break loomed nearer.

But Waiters’ fiercely competitive spirit—a quality which had caused the sporting world to dismiss him as reckless and, worse, as a source of amusement—never wavered, even as basketball analysts were clamoring for the Heat to deliberately sabotage the rest of their season in order to secure a high lottery pick. Fueled by Waiters’ fiery presence on and off the court, the upstart Heat surged to 13 consecutive victories and finished the season on a remarkable 30-11 run. Though a surprising last-minute lurch by an enigmatic Chicago Bulls squad ousted Miami from the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Heat would have been a dangerous team to face in the first round of the postseason.

No member of the sports media expressed this uncomfortable truth better than Waiters himself. In a Players’ Tribune article brazenly dubbed “The NBA is Lucky I’m Home Doing Damn Articles, ” the Miami guard unleashes a delicious diatribe against his critics, claiming shameless bravado and supreme overconfidence are prerequisites when competing on South Philly’s playgrounds—let alone on basketball’s biggest stage.

“You think you can survive in Philly without irrational confidence?” Waiters challenges in a section of the article that chronicles the guard’s dramatic journey from the South Philadelphia projects to Syracuse and eventually the NBA. “You will never hear the words ‘I can’t’ come out of Dion Waiters’ mouth. I can. I will. I already did.”

Waiters’ words capture the essence of the NBA today more vividly than any highlight reel. More than that, they illustrate why Adam Silver’s product has outstripped the NFL, MLB, and NHL in terms of substance and thrill. Where baseball players are discouraged from flipping bats or losing their composure, and members of the NFL are flagged at the faintest sign of a celebratory gesture, Waiters’ personality practically leaps off the page from the first braggadocious sentence of his article.

In brutally candid terms, the Heat guard describes a difficult upbringing characterized by loss, as well as his diasporic journey from the streets of Philadelphia to prep school in rural Connecticut. Jumping ahead a decade, Waiters discusses his close but nonetheless competitive relationship with former teammate Kevin Durant, urging the reader to ask Durant who won their last game of one-on-one should he or she cross paths with the eight-time all-star.

In the final paragraphs, Waiters meditates on how his three-year-old son is adjusting to his new life in Miami, concluding that both he and the rest of his family feel completely at home in the tropical heat.

Waiters’ Players’ Tribune piece provides more than a glimpse into the mind and past of a dynamic yet polarizing NBA player. It reveals the extent to which Silver has allowed his millionaire employees to fly their true colors and refrain from reigning in their passions, even as other professional sports leagues muzzle their players with heavy fines and threats of expulsion.

Back in the friendly confines of Dresser Diamond this weekend, Cardinal baseball will face Amherst in game one of a series that will determine this year’s Little Three champion. Their opponent looks formidable. While Wes dropped three tough contests to Middlebury this past week, the Mammoths went on a four-game run, the peak of which involved a 16-3 obliteration of Hamilton. Wes will play the second and third games of the deciding doubleheader at Amherst on Saturday.

The two rivals have both managed to float above .500 this season without doing anything spectacular. The Red and Black, to be fair, have had a notably harder schedule that included staunch opponents such as the Coast Guard Academy, Claremont College, and Pomona College. Amherst, on the other hand, was fortunate to face lightweights such as Elms College and Nichols College—both of whom they dispatched easily. 

One past matchup that bodes well for the Redbirds entering Friday’s contest is a recent trouncing of Mitchell College, an opponent that Amherst failed to vanquish a few weeks back. The Cards did, however, drop one game in their series against Williams, whereas the Mammoths managed a clean sweep. Other than this, both teams enter Friday’s game boasting similar wins and losses. 

As the Cards gear up for the series that is bound to be a tough battle, their three losses to Middlebury this past weekend are still fresh in their minds. Played on enemy turf over the span of two days, each game was tinged with heartbreak. 

In game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Cards came out aggressively, profiting from an RBI single from Ryan Earle ’19 and a daring steal of home plate by Matt Jeye ’18. Middlebury managed to a score a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Nick Miceli ’17 responded in the next inning with a charge home off of a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. The Cards would lead until the bottom of the sixth, when Middlebury shot off in a six-run rally. The final score read 7-3 in favor of the Panthers. 

The Redbirds’ NESCAC rival carried that momentum into the next game, driving in three in the bottom of the third. Wes retaliated with two RBI doubles from Earle and Ellis Schaefer ’17, but the Panthers managed to cling to their one run lead until the final frame. Despite the tough 3-2 loss, the game was highlighted by the pitching of Ethan Rode ’17, who went eight innings and gave up only three runs. 

Although they had already lost the overall series, the Cards came out on Sunday to fight for pride and key positioning in the NESCAC playoffs. Poor pitching from Middlebury’s mound gave the Birds an early run via walk with Will O’Sullivan ’17 sauntering home, but the middle innings proved to be the difference in the contest: the Panthers racked up five runs, while Wes remained stranded at one. There was a spark of a comeback in the top of the eighth when Danny Rose ’19 managed to drive in Schaefer. O’Sullivan then followed up with a RBI double to send two runs across the plate. The comeback sputtered, however, when Middlebury tallied two runs in the bottom of the frame, securing a 7-4 win. 

The results of these three games showcase Wesleyan’s need to improve at the plate. The team’s poor batting performance comes as a surprise, given the string of high scoring games the Cards have put together in recent weeks. As the Cards are sure to face strong pitching from Amherst this weekend, improving their ability to get on base and score runs will be crucial for them to have a shot at winning.

“Rivalry week is the spark that we needed and I’m really confident in how we are going to play this week,” said star pitcher Mike McCaffrey ’19. 

Winning the Little Three is not the only thing at stake this weekend. The Cards will also be vying to stay competitive in the NESCAC standings. Right now, the team sits at second place in West Division with a tepid 4-4 record, but a sweep against Amherst could launch the Cardinals past the Mammoths and Middlebury, who are currently tied for first place. After this weekend, Wes will have just two conference games left for the season; the squad will battle Trinity in a doubleheader on Saturday, May 6. 

“It’s a huge series this weekend against our arch rival so our complete focus is on that and preparing everything we can to come out with a win,” said O’Sullivan.

Gray skies loomed over Wesleyan’s final regular season meet this past Saturday, April 22. Held on the all too familiar Anderson Outdoor Track, the J. Elmer Swanson Invitational featured numerous victories for a Cardinal team that seems to be peaking at the right time.

Already set to attend the NESCAC Outdoor Championships is Grant Van Inwegen ’20, who has consistently finished on the podium in long distance events. On Saturday, he placed second in both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs, finishing just behind fellow first-year teammate Conner Sexton in the latter race. Sexton scored a spot on the podium with a time of 4:04.41. The 1,500-meter was also a friend to Wes upperclassmen, as two juniors—Tate Knight and Connor Cobb— placed fourth and fifth with times of 4:09.10 and 4:10.54, respectively. Also placing in the 800-meter was Colin Mahoney ’18, who crossed the line in fifth in 2:02.36.

During the infamous 3,000-meter steeplechase, Bill Bajohr ’20 and Kevin McMorrow ’20 claimed the top two spots with times of 10:04.84 and 10:17.18.

The women’s team also dominated the 800-meter and 1,500-meter middle-distance races. Sylwia Lipior ’18 won the 800-meter with a time of 2:23.23. Following her in third and fourth place were Claudia Schatz ’19 and Nikita Rajgopal ’17 with times of 2:23.90 and 2:24.30, respectively. In the 1,500-meter, Wesleyan took home the top six spots thanks to veteran and fresh-faced team members alike: Julia Mitchell ’19 (4:54.77), Isabella Reilly ’19 (5:08.26), Sara Pinsonault ’20 (5:08.79), Rosie Skovron ’20 (5:09.42), Carina Flaherty ’19 (5:10.63), and Katie Scruggs ’17 (5:11.00).

The women’s 4×400-meter relay comprised of Alexandra Dibrindisi ’19, Tess Holland ’18, Allegra Fils-Aime ’19, and Isabella Reilly ’19 continued to blow past other teams, finishing first with a time of 4:09.00. Two members of the relay team went on to place in individual events as well. Fils-Aime won the 200-meter with a time of 26.55, while Dibrindisi placed second to Jenny Aguiar ’19 in the 400-meter run in 59.95. Aguiar had run in the same 4×400-relay the week prior, while Dibrindisi raced in her place this week.

“My favorite part about running the relay is being a part of a team event,” said Aguiar. “Track, for the most part, is known to be extremely individual. The relays though are the best part because your individual works matters to the rest of the relay in that event. The pressure is on, and you want to make your three other relay legs proud. I love being on the relay because it brings me and other teammates closer together.”

The men’s team also tallied victories in relay competition, placing first in the 4×100-meter race with a mark of 44.42. All four members of the team saw individual success as well. Kyle Shin ’20 finished third in the 100-meter dash in 11.60, followed by Jack Northrop ’20, who came in fifth with a time of 11.81. In the 200-meter dash, the other two relay members Drew Trotman ’18 and Frank McField ’20 came in second and third with times of 23.38 and 23.43, respectively. McField went on to win the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.36, while Trotman finished fifth in 54.45.

On the field, familiar high-flying rookie Tara Peng ’20 claimed third in the high jump, followed in fourth by Jordan Dunaway-Barlow ’20. The two both achieved a height of 1.45m. Casey Rothschild ’20, another first year in the field, won the pole vault event with a height of 3.20m. Peng finished second in the same event by clearing 2.95m.

The men’s team enjoyed even more success in the field than on the track. In the pole vault event, the team took the top three spots: Andrew McCracken ’19 shared the top spot on the podium with Jessy Carrasco-Gonzalez ’18, while Pau Rius Valor ’20 claimed third place after clearing 3.50m. Excelling both on the track and in the field, 4×100-meter relay team member Northrop won the long jump with a mark of 5.99m.

As Wesley Layug ’17 claimed third in the triple jump with a score of 11.36m, the men’s shot put saw Olaniyi Adebayo ’19 finish second and Ricardo Vazquez ’20 come in third. The two went on to claim fourth and fifth in the discus, Vazquez with a throw of 31.63m and Adebayo with a heave of 30.75m. Vazquez also placed in two more events later in the day: second in the hammer throw, and third in the javelin with a mark of 43.57m.

After such a successful home meet, the Cardinals look toward NESCAC competition in the upcoming weeks.

“The strong performances in wet conditions is a good confidence builder going into the NESCAC conference meet on April 29 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine,” said Head Coach Walter Curry.

“For the rest of the season I’m looking forward to improving from here on out,” Aguiar said. “We started on a decently strong note, so I look forward to getting even more competitive and getting our times faster… With lots of talented runners, throwers, jumpers, it’s going to be a great opportunity for intense competition.”

Holy Week for Judeo-Christian followers throughout the world turned out to be a holy week for the Dirty Birds of women’s lacrosse as well. A formidable drought that has plagued the squad since the ’80s ended last Saturday in a flood of 11 goals, when the Little Three Champion banner was once again returned to the high altar of Middletown.

After posting consecutive five-win seasons dating back to the 2012 campaign, the Cardinals’ 8-4 record thus far nearly doubles each of the past five years’ win totals. The last of these victories came against Little Three rival Amherst, when the Cards trounced the newly minted Mammoths, 9-4. Following the victory over Amherst, Wesleyan went into its game against Williams knowing that the ability to make history was in their hands. From Wednesday to Saturday, the determined women took their intensity levels up a notch during practice in anticipation of Saturday’s game in the Berkshires. And, as my high school lacrosse coach once told me, hard work and dedication pay off.

The win required resilience, particularly after Williams jumped out to an early lead. Though Liana Mathias ’17 started the game with goal off a free position strike one minute into play, the Ephs responded strongly with four unanswered goals in the next 15 minutes. Williams clung to a 4-1 late into the first half. However, in the last three minutes of the first half, the Red and Black showed that they would not go down without a fight. Antonia Kaz ’19, Rachel Aronow ’17 and Abby Manning ’20 scored three straight goals to end the half with the score knotted at four apiece.

Starting the second half, Wesleyan and Williams traded unassisted goals to keep the game even at six by the 16:32 mark. From there, it was all Wes: a parade of four goals by juggernauts Mathias, Aronow, and Manning left the Ephs as dumbfounded as the Egyptian pharaoh after the plagues that caused the Exodus.

And just as the plagues resulted in a victory for the Israelites, this plague led to the Dirty Birds hoisting the beautiful red and black Little Three victory banner for the first time since 1982.

“Obviously, Williams was super exciting for us; winning the Little Three has been a team goal of ours since before our fall off-season even began,” said Dana Mitchell ’18. “I don’t think it was a perfect game, in fact I think in some ways we made it harder for ourselves than it needed to be, but we pushed through in the end and that’s really all that matters. Overall, it was an awesome victory and something I think we will all remember forever.”

Crashing to the ground from the high off the Williams game, Wesleyan fell short of continuing their streak in what could have been a huge upset win at No. 6 Trinity. While the Cardinals hoped to avenge a brutal defeat at the hands of the Bantams the season before, their efforts ultimately proved fruitless. After an early Trinity goal, Kaz continued her hot streak with a goal off an assist from Mathias. Crooked Trinity countered with three unanswered goals. An unassisted goal by Abby Horst ’19 lowered the deficit to two at the half. After a pair of back and forth netters to start the second, Trinity went on a 4-0 run. Back-to-back goals from Rachel Aronow—bringing her season points total to 24—brought the Dirty Birds back within reach. However, Wesleyan was not able to fully capitalize, falling 11-8.

“Trinity was a tough loss, because while it’s exciting to know that we can really play and compete with one of the best teams in the country, it’s frustrating because with a few minor adjustments the game could’ve been ours,” said Mitchell following the contest. “Hopefully we can take what we learned from Trinity and quickly turn it around for our huge senior night game against Bowdoin, something we’re all really looking forward to.”

Games like the loss against Trinity can be heartbreaking, but the best teams rise up from the ashes stronger than ever before. The Cardinals will look for their resurrection following Saturday’s defeat in a home game against No. 8 Bowdoin. As for Crooked Trinity, they may have gotten the best of the good guys this time, but these Dirty Birds will be out for revenge come NESCAC tournament time.

Sports junkie Kelly Hogan ’19 answers questions from fans about the latest stories in the sporting world, from a caveat in the rapidly approaching NBA draft to former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo’s plans for retirement.

What should the 76ers do if they land the Lakers’ first-round draft pick?

                                                                                                   —Cameron, Oakland, CA

The 2017 NBA draft class is as good as any since 2003—a draft that featured the likes of LeBron, Melo, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh. The results of the NBA lottery on May 16 will go a long way in determining which franchises return to glory and which franchises continue down the path of mediocrity. An interesting wrinkle of the lottery this year involves the Lakers. If the Lakers’ pick falls among this year’s top three teams, they get to keep it. Lonzo Ball would likely be their target. However, if their pick falls out of the top three, that coveted pick will belong to the 76ers. In that scenario, the 76ers would have two top-five picks: their own, along with the Lakers’ former pick.

Let’s say those picks turn out to be numbers four and five (which is likely). This brings up an interesting question: If you are the 76ers—and you have the fourth and fifth overall picks in the NBA Draft—do you try and bundle those picks together and trade for the number one overall pick, or would you rather have two top-five picks?

Let’s look back at the 2003 Draft to better analyze this question. The first overall pick that year was LeBron James. Transcendent talent. The fourth and fifth overall picks were Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Which scenario is better? Would you rather have James, or both Wade and Bosh? I think the answer to that question is James.

This year the top two players in the eyes of most are Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. I wouldn’t put either in the LeBron category, but surely they could both be perennial All-Stars. After these two, there is a bit off a drop-off, but not much. Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and Jonathan Isaac all have All-Star potential.

If this was 2003 and LeBron was available, I would trade the fourth and fifth picks to move up to number one. This year, I would not. If I were the 76ers, I’d prefer to have both the fourth and fifth picks. Having, let’s say, Jayson Tatum and De’Aaron Fox is far superior in my eyes than having just one of Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball.

Who should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this year?

                                                                                                    —Mike, Basking Ridge, NJ

There are many players in contention for the league’s most improved this year. Often times, this award goes to a player who fortuitously sees his minutes increase, and subsequently his numbers. Other times it goes to a fringe NBA player who makes a significant jump to becoming a serviceable contributor. This year, however, the players in contention for the award were already established NBA players, who elevated themselves into the All-NBA discussion over the course of the season. Here are my top three candidates for the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: The Greek Freak has tapped into the potential that made him such an intriguing prospect, and the Bucks are reaping the benefits. The 7-footer is the Bucks de facto point guard. He is averaging 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. Each season, NBA GMs are given a survey. One of the questions is: if you could start a team with any player, who would you select? The dominant response over the past decade has unsurprisingly been LeBron. Next year, I wouldn’t be surprised if the 22 year-old from Milwaukee garnered several votes.

Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards: John Wall’s backcourt mate may be the main reason the Wizards will have home-court in the first round of the playoffs. The 6’5” sharpshooter is averaging 23 points per game with over 40% accuracy from three-point range. Washington’s coach Scott Brooks should receive some credit for taking the leash off of Beal and giving him the ultimate green light. It certainly has paid off for the Wiz, as they look to gain momentum heading into the postseason.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets could have traded the 7-foot Serbian for Demarcus Cousins last season, but nixed the trade at the last moment. They are certainly happy that they did. Jokic is averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and nearly 5 assists per game—an incredible line of stats for a center. Although he is just a second year player and improvement is expected, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen Nikola’s improvement to be on this trajectory.

What do you think about Tony Romo’s retirement plans? 

                                                                                                               —Greg, Coronado, CA  

I have a couple of thoughts regarding Tony Romo and his decision to “retire” from football. I put retire in quotations because he doesn’t truly want to hang up his cleats—at least I don’t believe so. I believe if a team wanted him, he would be playing.

Why do teams value draft picks so highly? You are telling me not a single team was willing to surrender a 2nd round pick to acquire Romo? Just the chance that Romo might be his old self should surely warrant that a team gamble with at least a mid-round pick, but not a single team did so. The value placed on draft picks in the NFL is absolutely mystifying. If Romo turned out to be 70% of the player that he used to be, that would be enough to elevate either the Texans or the Broncos to legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The player who they will select with their draft pick will be considered a success if he contributes at all in his rookie season. This infatuation with draft picks in the NFL is infuriating. Hell, if I were a GM and I could get my hands on a top-tier quarterback, I would be willing to surrender my entire draft class—Herschel Walker style. Without a quarterback in this league you are essentially in purgatory.

From Romo’s perspective, things are a little less clear. If you’re Tony Romo, you want to go where you feel wanted, right? Since no team was willing to offer a middling pick for the 36-year old, he opted to go into broadcasting where he’ll immediately be placed on the premier NFL package. Who knows how often a gig like that comes around? He bypassed on somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million this year, but now he will stand to make somewhere between four to six million calling football games for as long as he pleases. Playing football has an expiration date—analyzing it does not. I think Romo made a wise decision.

After a tight loss to conference rival Amherst ended a nonetheless memorable 2016 campaign, the softball team entered the 2017 season eager to build on the previous year’s success. This would be easier said than done: the 2016 squad tallied an impressive 21 victories—the second most in program history—and remained highly competitive in NESCAC play, due in large part to the efforts of stellar pitcher and departing senior Su Pard0 ’16. Pardo left Wesleyan holding a slew of program records, including most career shutouts and strikeouts. The Cards would need to find a way to fill the void left by Pardo and the rest of the 2016 senior class if they wished to match, let alone surpass, last season’s win total.

Determined to prove they could rise to new heights even without their former star, the Cardinals began their 2017 schedule with a weeklong sojourn to Clermont, Fla., where the team faced an astounding 12 opponents over the course of just seven days. The trip began in a rather disappointing fashion, as the Cards dropped back-to-back contests against New England opponents Western Connecticut State University and University of New England. The Cards rallied the following day, defeating Becker College in a thrilling 8-7 game to earn their first victory of the season. A slew of tough losses followed this potential momentum-sparker: The Cards fell 7-5 to UMass Boston, and failed to vanquish 21st-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater two days later. Shaking off the loss against Wisconsin-Whitewater, the team turned their day (and potentially their season) around and trounced Babson College by a score of 6-1.

The win against Babson proved to be the spark the 2017 squad had been waiting for. The team went on to win its next four contests, blowing out the likes of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Union College by more than five runs before a 6-3 loss to Buffalo State University brought them abruptly back down to earth. However, the Cards were able to conclude their trip with a 4-0 shutout of Carleton College.

After returning to New England boasting a modest 6-6 record, the Cardinals tested their mettle against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. In the first game of their double-header, the squad failed to muster enough offense to vanquish the Bears, and fell by a score of 6-3. The second of the two contests demonstrated the Cardinals’ fighting spirit, even though the team came away just shy of victory. Down 16-8 in the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Red and Black mustered five straight runs to get within reach of the Bears entering the eighth inning. Though the team failed to score again, the late rally showcased the Cards’ offensive firepower and fortitude.

Four days later, the Red and Black battled conference rival Williams on home turf, hoping to earn their first NESCAC win of the season. The squad came up short in both legs of the doubleheader, dropping the first game 10-1 and losing the second contest 12-7. Just as they did against Coast Guard, the Cards’ bats did not come alive until late into the second contest, when they managed to drive home three runs in the seventh inning.

With the loss against Williams still fresh in their minds, the team made the short trek to Hartford for another NESCAC matchup, this time against in-state foe Trinity. From the game’s first pitch, it became apparent that the setback against the Ephs had motivated rather than discouraged the Cards. The team dispatched the Bantams 7-4 in game one of the doubleheader, then proceeded to shut out their Route Nine rivals 6-0 in game two. Rachel Kantor ’19 and Julie McDonald ’18 combined for the shutout, allowing just five hits total over the course of seven innings.

In the last of three consecutive conference matchups, Wesleyan faced the Bowdoin Polar Bears at home, hoping to reach a record of .500 for the second time all season. Despite admirable defensive plays from Kantor and Izzy Linzer ’17, the Red and Black fell short in the first game of the doubleheader by a score of 7-3. The second game of the day proved to be even more of a defensive struggle. Up 2-0 early in the contest, the Cardinals were unable to hold the Polar Bears’ offense at bay, and Bowdoin surged to a 3-2 victory.

The team will battle Eastern Connecticut State University today at 3 p.m., hoping to improve its winless record at home. The squad currently sits at 8-12 on the season.