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BY JARED NOLAN

In print | Published March 26, 2009

Swarthmore baseball opened Centennial Conference play on Tuesday at Muhlenberg. The Mules (7-11-1) won the first game of the two-game series 4-1. Anthony Montalbano ’12 scored the lone Garnet run with a solo home run in the eighth inning, while all four of the Mules’ runs were unearned.

The Garnet ended its opening stretch of non-conference games by splitting a doubleheader with Penn State-Berks on Saturday and dropping a Sunday game against Misericordia. With a late-inning outburst of runs, the Garnet (8-9) easily took the morning game 12-4 against Berks (7-7-1), but in the second match it was the Nittany Lions who displayed the late-game heroics, pulling out an 8-7 eight-inning win (in doubleheaders, regulation play consists of seven innings instead of nine).

Coming off three days of rest, the Misericordia Cougars (10-7) outlasted the Garnet on Sunday, scoring seven runs in the final two innings to seize a 13-7 victory.

Head Coach Stan Exeter described his players’ performance over the weekend as “okay,” but conceded that the team’s schedule was a tough one to take on.

He also noted that playing three games in two days was a valuable experience because it mirrors the format of the conference schedule.

The effects of such short rest showed in the Sunday game, as the Garnet could not keep up the intensity against Misericordia. In the top of the eighth, Exeter had to send Adam Hardy ’12 to the mound, even though the first-year pitched one and a third scoreless innings the day before. Hardy gave up four runs in a third of an inning that gave the Cougars a 10-7 lead.

After falling behind, the Garnet hitters could not respond and went hitless in the final two innings. Misericordia went on to win 13-7 after trailing 7-6 with seven innings played.

The first game of the weekend against Berks produced better results for Swarthmore. Going into the fifth inning the Garnet trailed 4-3, but Montalbano homered to lead off the inning and tie the score. Mike Waterhouse ’12 singled to left field and advanced to second after an error by Berks’ pitcher. Spencer Ross ’12 followed with a walk and the two runners ended up on second and third when the Berks’ pitcher balked. A single by Michael Cameron ’12 scored Waterhouse and Ross and later in the inning Cameron scored off a sacrifice fly by Matt Lamb ’12.

Swarthmore repeated the four-run effort in the sixth. Lamb singled to center field to score Ross and Cameron. Another single by Ben Schneiderman ’11 scored Lamb, and after the next at-bat a throwing error by the Berks’ third baseman allowed Jimmy Gill ’10 to touch home plate. The eight run swing put the Garnet up 11-4 and the team added one more in the ninth when Cameron’s double drove in Waterhouse again.

With the non-conference schedule over, the Garnet has shifted its focus to the upcoming conference match-ups. Waterhouse, who has been one of the hot hitters for the Garnet, hopes to maintain his streak for the Centennial opponents. “I know conference play is going to be harder, but hopefully I can keep up my hard work,” he said.

Waterhouse also explained the significance of the non-conference games. “While those games were important, coach has emphasized we need to learn from our mistakes,” he said. “If we keep repeating our mistakes other teams will capitalize on them and we will suffer more.”

Exeter noted another merit to playing so many out-of-conference opponents. “We were in every kind of game possible,” he said. “We’ve won games in every possible way and we’ve lost games in every possible way.” This experience has been particularly valuable to first-year players like Waterhouse.

At this point in the season one of the main areas of concern for the Garnet is the pitching rotation.
“Right now we have three definite starters and [Coach] is looking for a fourth definite starter,” Waterhouse said. “Everyone’s had a good outing, but I don’t think anyone’s solidified the position now.” And it does not look like anyone will. Exeter clarified the situation. “We’re gonna go on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “That’s what you get with a young team.”

The team may be young and lack experience, but it definitely has talent. First-year first baseman Cameron is evidence of that fact. After batting .600 in five games last week with nine runs and six runs batted in, In addition to being named the Division III E.C.A.C. South Region Player of the Week, Cameron was named Centennial Conference Player of the Week, while Waterhouse got the CC nod two weeks ago, making this the first time Swarthmore players have received the designation in back-to-back weeks.

Waterhouse and Cameron will look to continue their early success on Friday, when the Garnet finishes the two-game series against Muhlenberg at 3:30 p.m. on the Clothier Fields.

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