NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College baseball team concluded the 2011 campaign by earning a doubleheader split against crosstown opponent, St. Olaf College. The Knights dropped the opener 4-2 before securing an 11-7 triumph in the season finale.
In game one, all six runs were scored with two out, and only one of those runs was earned as the squads combined for six errors.
Carleton plated an unearned run in the top of the first as Kevin Johnson (Fy./St. Anthony, Minn./DeLaSalle) walked and later scored on an error. The Oles responded with a trio of unearned tallies in the bottom of the second inning against Anderson Cole (Fy./Aspen, Colo./Aspen) and another run in the fourth. The Knights final run came in the sixth, when Erik Fabry (Jr./Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) walked and scored on Adam Johnson’s second miscue of the game.
Cole worked 5.0 innings, allowing four runs (only one earned) on five hits and three walks. His mound counterpart, Ben Hughes, went the distance for the third time this season, fanning 10 and scattering three hits and three walks.
Game two featured the final contest in the collegiate career of the four seniors on the Carleton roster: shortstop David Ames (Riverwoods, Ill./Deerfield), starting pitcher Jacob Anderson (Anoka, Minn./Anoka), first baseman Grant Bowen (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury ), and third baseman Jim Klein (Alameda, Calif./College Preparatory).
All four started together one last time, and all three hitters had at least one RBI to contribute to the victory. “They're a tremendous foursome and graduate as the third-winningest class in school history,” said Carleton Head Coach Aaron Rushing.
Once again the Knights started fast. Johnson led off the game with a walk and scored on Ray Yong’s (Fy./Elmhurst, Ill./York) double. The rookie leftfielder swiped third base and trotted home on Ames’ single. In the second inning, Yong doubled home Johnson once again and waltzed home on Bowen’s second home run of the season and seventh of the senior’s career. The Knights extended the lead to 8-0 with three more runs in the third as Klein had a sacrifice fly before Johnson chased home another with a groundball and later scored on an error by the pitcher.
St. Olaf began its comeback with seven runs in the bottom of the third. The Oles used five hits, a pair of walks, two stolen bases, a hit batter, and a Knight fielding error to close within a run. Anderson was charged with six runs over 2.2 innings.
With the game close, the top of the Knights lineup delivered once more. Johnson and Yong drew consecutive walks and Bowen brought both home with a triple. Johnson singled home an insurance run in the sixth, making the final score 11-7.
Paul Dimick (Jr./Northfield, Minn.) worked a scoreless seventh to close out the win, taking the mound at the baseball complex named for his grandfather, longtime St. Olaf coach Jim Dimick.
The top four hitters in Carleton’s lineup—Johnson, Yong, Bowen and Alex Wirta (Jr./Corte Madera, Calif.)—went a combined 9-for-15 with five walks. The quartet scored eight times and was credited with eight RBI.
Bowen finished his career with a 3-for-5, 4-RBI game, falling a double shy of the cycle. “It was terrific to see Grant end with such a fabulous game, hitting a pair of the hardest balls we've seen all year,” said Rushing. “It was great to end the season with a victory.”
Yong capped a tremendous rookie season with two more doubles, which raised his season total to 15, the second most in school history. He paced the squad with 19 RBI on the season. Wirta led the team with a .388 average this season and tied with Fabry and Johnson for second on the team in RBI (14).
Dimick possessed a 3.88 ERA as he led the team in innings pitched (48.2) and starts (9). Cole and fellow rookie Danny Shields (Richfield, Minn/ Holy Angels) posted the two-best ERAs on the staff at 2.65 and 2.88, respectively.
