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Volume CXXXI, Number 23
April 26, 2002
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Bears struggle against Ephs
J.P. HERNANDEZ
STAFF WRITER


Kevin Bougie '04 at bat in one of last Saturday's games with Williams. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

The Bowdoin Baseball Team lost two in last Saturday's doubleheader against the Williams College Ephs. The losses leave Bowdoin with a league record of 1-9 and an overall record of 10-16.

The Polar Bears were competitive in the first game of the series. Senior captain Scott Jamieson pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs and nine hits. Despite the sound pitching performance, the Polar Bears struggled at bat, and the team's fielding blunders allowed Williams to put up two unearned runs. The game was tight throughout, but the Bears' lack of success at the plate and in the field prevented them from eking out a win.

A bright spot in the 6-2 loss was a particularly commendable performance from senior outfielder and captain Rob Metzler, who went 3-4 and scored one of the team's two runs.

The Bears had even more trouble with the Ephs in the second game, as Williams first basemen John Scialabba belted home runs in each of his first three trips to the plate to propel his team to a decisive 12-2 victory. Though Bowdoin mustered ten hits and played respectable defense, the effort wasn't enough to keep pace with Williams's potent offense.

Noteworthy Bowdoin performances came from Metzler and Kevin Bougie '04. Metzler got on base three times with a pair of hits and a walk, and Bougie contributed two solid hits and batted in a run. Scott Buruchow '03 started and took the loss for Bowdoin, while Jared Porter '03 and Kid Nichols '04 both saw action in relief.

The Bears continue to press on despite the weekend's tough losses. The team continues to receive first-rate performances from several individuals. Six Bowdoin regulars have batting averages above .300; most notably, Bougie's batting average has hovered around the .400 mark. He has also played tremendous defense and assisted the team as a relief pitcher. One Bowdoin player went so far as to praise Bougie as the team's "Mr. Consistency" for his stellar performance.

A couple of Bowdoin outfielders have also made impressive individual contributions. Lead off batter and centerfield Metzler has perhaps been the team's most versatile player. He swings a lively bat, plays great defense, has sufficient speed to steal bases at will, and is a fierce competitor.

Outfielder Seth Paradis '02, a dependable and powerful hitter, is known for making spectacular, seemingly impossible defensive plays.

The pitching staff has been anchored by the strong performance of Jamieson, while Buruchow, Nichols, and Pat Donahue '04 have provided the remaining part of the team's consistent, quality innings.

The team's next challenge comes this weekend in the form of three games against league rival Bates. The Polar Bears will play the Bobcats at home today at 3:30 p.m., and will travel to Lewiston tomorrow for a doubleheader that begins at 12:00 p.m.