Baseball Head Coach Marek Drabinski has been concerned about his team's offense for much of the season. But after Saturday's showing, he might not have to worry anymore.
Behind solid starting pitching and offense from unexpected sources, the Bears blew out Dartmouth 20-2 and 10-3 in a doubleheader sweep at Aldrich Field. For the day, Brown batters hammered out 31 hits, and the defense, once a sore spot, committed no errors. The Bears improved their record to 7-3 in the Ivy League, 12-14 overall, while the Big Green dropped to 2-8 in league play, 5-19 overall.
"I think those are the best two games we played this season," said infielder Bryan Tews '07. "We had no errors, the pitching was great, the offense was great. If we keep playing well in those three (areas), we can beat anyone."
In the top of the first inning of the first game, the Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Brown was the visiting team on its home field because snowy conditions in New Hampshire forced the games to be moved south. The Bears scored a run in every inning of the first game, and all 10 batters recorded hits and had either an RBI or run scored.
Chris Tanabe '10 got his first start of the Ivy League season in right field and responded by going 2-for-3 with five RBIs and hitting his first collegiate homer, a three-run shot to left field. Second baseman Brian Kelaher '08 added four RBIs, while third baseman Robert Papenhause '09 and leftfielder Ryan Murphy '08 both had three hits and three runs scored.
"You had a lot of guys (Saturday) in the first game who aren't the guys you're usually counting on to produce your runs," Drabinski said. "Those four guys - Papenhause, Murphy, Tanabe, Kelaher - which is great because you can't always rely on the same guys: (Devin) Thomas ('07), (Jeff) Dietz ('08), Tews, (Matt) Nuzzo ('09). It's nice to get see those other guys get into the fold and contribute."
The team's offensive explosion overshadowed another stellar start by Dietz, who gave up just two runs while pitching a seven-inning complete game. After allowing a double and a home run to start the game, the right-hander settled down, allowing just three baserunners and striking out 11 batters the rest of the way. He improved his Ivy record to 3-0, with a 2.57 ERA.
"After the first two batters, I felt pretty good," Dietz said. "I threw my curveball for strikes - when I start getting my curveball working, I feel fine."
In the second game, both starters - Brown's James Cramphin '07 and Dartmouth's Jeff Wilkerson - pitched well in the early innings. But in the top of the fourth, with the Bears leading 1-0, three of Brown's first four batters hit solo home runs to break the game open. Dietz, Tews and right-fielder Dan Shapiro '09 connected on the homers, and designated hitter J.J. Eno '08 contributed an RBI-double later that inning. Tews, who went 3-for-3 in the second game, hit another solo homer in the sixth, and the Bears scored again in the seventh and the ninth.
Cramphin - who was two outs away from a complete game shutout against Columbia last week - again pitched well, striking out 10 in six innings while allowing just one run in improving his Ivy record to 2-0, with a 2.66 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 20 and 1/3 innings. His recent successes have impressed Drabinski.
"The big thing with James is that we've worked on some mechanical issues in the offseason," the coach said. "Since the Charleston Southern (University) game he pitched, he's shortened up his arm action and he's keeping his shoulders level. ... As you can see from the number of strikeouts, he's been very effective."
With Brown and Harvard's Sunday doubleheaders against Dartmouth and Yale, respectively, postponed because of rain, the Bears and Crimson will head into next weekend's four-game series at Aldrich Field with identical 7-3 Ivy League records, tied for the Red Rolfe Division lead. Before the season, Collegiate Baseball predicted that Harvard would finish first in the division, with Brown second. Dietz said the team has been looking forward to the match-up all year.
"There's nothing I would like to do more than to take (the series) against Harvard," Dietz said. "If we played like we did this weekend, we'll have good results."
Before the weekend's doubleheaders against the Crimson, the Bears have three midweek games at home. They will face Marist College in a doubleheader on Tuesday and the University of Connecticut on Wednesday.
