The Colby Echo

Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Caroline Dickson Colby earned its first NESCAC wins against Bates to stay above .500 this season

The baseball team wrapped up a productive week after going 2-2 overall while taking two of three from New England Small College Athletic Conference rival Bates College over the weekend. Early in the week, Colby hosted non-league opponent the University of Southern Maine. Colby quickly fell behind to the USM in the early innings but hung around enough to score nine runs. John LaMantia '10 had three hits, including a two-run homer to left field. Spencer Jacobson '11, Rich Newton '11 and Ken Kaufman '10 all had two hits and two runs scored. Ultimately the Colby output was not enough, as the sluggers of USM dominated. Anthony D'Alfonso and Chris Burleson both had five RBIs to lead the charge. After nine innings USM walked away with a 16-9 win.

Colby quickly looked ahead to a three game series against the Bates Bobcats. The first game, on Friday, took place at Bates. Sam Kennedy-Smith '09 pitched into the sixth inning while being backed by three homeruns. Senior Colin Riggs launched two bombs and tri-captain Kyle McKay '09 hit one of his own. LaMantia, McKay and Nick Spillane '08 all went 3-5 and Spillane led the group with four RBIs. Colby eventually left Bates victorious 11-6.

The Saturday double-header was held on a beautiful day at Coombs field where temperatures nearly reached 70 degrees. Bates took the first game 7-2 backed by a complete game from Ryan Heide. Heide held Colby to seven hits in seven innings pitched. Game two was in all regards the most exciting game of the season so far. The Mules jumped to an early 7-1 lead behind a well-balanced offensive attack. Only two Colby starters left the game hitless. John LaMantia and Spencer Jacobson each had three hits to lead the team. In the top of the eighth inning Bates scored four runs to bring the score back to 7-5. Luckily, Jacobson and Chris Murdock '10 came across the plate to score in the top of the ninth because every insurance run would be needed for Colby. Bates came roaring back once again in the bottom of the ninth, on a combination of solid hitting and a little luck. With two outs and men on first and second a grounder was hit towards Spencer Jacobson at third. The ball pulled him off the bag and rather than making a difficult throw to first, Jacobson raced to tag the Bates player running from second to third. To many in the stands it looked as if Jacobson made a diving tag but the umpire made the safe call. Now with the bases loaded, two outs and Colby clinging to a 9-8 lead, Head Coach Dale Plummer called on first-year Ryan Murphy to make the final out.

Murphy started the at-bat with two impressive curve balls for strikes. He then reared back and fired a high and tight fastball to send the final Bates batter flailing and Colby fans into an uproar. Bates has now dropped to 6-16 overall and 2-7 in the NESCAC East.

As for the team statistics, Ken Kaufman '10 has slid into the leadoff spot for Colby of late. In 38AB this season he is batting .395 while scoring 15 runs and is 7-7 in stolen bases. The 1-2 punch of Kaufman and John LaMantia '10 (71 AB, .394 avg., .494 OBP) has contributed to the continued dominance of the Colby offense.

By winning two league games, the Mules can still entertain ideas of a post season while also assuring that Bates will not. Colby is now 12-11 and 2-6 in the NESCAC East. Even if the playoffs are not in the cards for Colby, a winning season still may be. It would be the first for the program in ten years and a sign of solid progress for the program.

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