The Observer, March 18, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 21
Lack of pitching in the Sunshine State burns Spartans
The Spartan baseball team took a trip to Florida to start their season over spring break. After six games against non-conference teams, the team then competed in the UAA tournament. They started off strong in their first four games, but sputtered through the tournament.
Senior pitcher Ryan Sporer said his goal for the team is to win 12 games. His personal goal is to win four. Case began the trip by earning two of those 12 wins against Ursinus College, winning the first 3-2 and the second by a wider margin of 13-8.
In their bid to go 3-0 against Wilkes University, the Spartans went into extra innings, but Sporer surrendered five runs (three earned) in the top of the eighth to lose 13-8. Wilkes started the inning by grounding out, but then a single started a rally that included two unearned runs.
Case won their next game against Medaille 10-7 to get to a record of 3-1. They then lost their last two non-conference games of the week, 18-2 to Waynesburg College and 11-5 to Washington College.
Case entered the UAA tournament 3-3. Case started the tournament strong, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and then carrying a 10-9 lead to the bottom of the ninth against Emory University. With two men on and two outs, Emory singled to tie the game and sent it to extra innings.
Case loaded the bases in the tenth, but Dan McNally struck out to end the threat. In the 11th inning the Spartans threatened again, with Tim Koenig getting to third on a Marshall Hampton single and only one out. Hampton was then caught stealing and Max Briggs swung out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 11th John Thuermer struggled with his control and walked in the winning run, giving Emory the win, 11-10. Mark Jungermann had three hits in the game with two RBI to lead the Spartans.
Case struggled through the next three games, losing all three and extending their losing streak to six games. They lost 14-2 to Rochester, where Jungermann drove in both Case runs. Against Brandeis University the Spartans fell 9-3, with Hampton scoring two runs and adding an RBI for the Spartans. The rematch versus Emory was not nearly as close as the first game, with the Spartans losing 22-1. No Spartan pitcher had an answer for Emory, with each of the five pitchers allowing at least two earned runs.
In the rematch with Rochester, Case had a better showing. Pitcher John Thuermer led the team, going all nine innings and allowing three runs, only two earned. The game was close throughout, with the Spartans taking the lead on a Koenig single in the third, but Rochester came back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Case regained the lead on a Josh Knipp single in the fifth, bringing the score to 2-1, but Rochester tied the game up again in the bottom of the sixth with a single to right field.
Rochester took the lead at 3-2 in the eighth on a single. In the top of the ninth Case got a man out with two outs then started a rally with a hit by Chris Sisson. After Koenig walked to load the bases, Knipp hit a single up the middle to score two runs and grab the lead at 4-3. Rochester got a man on in the bottom of the ninth, but could not score. Case walked away with a 4-3 victory, bringing their record to 4-7 overall and 1-4 in the conference.
Case could not carry the momentum going though the rest conference play, losing 11-1 against Washington University. The team finished with a 1-5 record in association play for the tournament.
Sporer was hopeful for the rest of the season. "The team played well and was aggressive on the bases, but we had problems finishing some games," he said. "I think we have a quality group of guys and will win quite a few more games."
The team next plays Thomas More College tomorrow and Sunday.
