NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College baseball team was unable to celebrate its seniors in style as the Knights failed to hold a pair of leads in losing both games of a doubleheader against conference front-runner Macalester College. Carleton (9-20, 3-11 MIAC) dropped the opener, 5-1, then came up short in the nightcap, 7-3 in extra innings. Senior Grant Bowen (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) had four hits on the day, including a two-run home run in game two.
The four seniors on the Carleton roster, David Ames (Riverwoods, Ill./Deerfield), Jacob Anderson (Anoka, Minn./Anoka), Bowen, and Jim Klein (Alameda, Calif./College Preparatory), were honored prior to game one during a special on-field ceremony.
Erik Fabry (Jr./Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) broke a scoreless tie in the third. He doubled and came home on Kevin Johnson’s (Fy./St. Anthony, Minn./DeLaSalle) two-out single.
Anderson, who got the starting nod on the hill, looked sharp early and carried a shutout into the sixth inning. The Scots tied things at 1-1 with an unearned run in the sixth, before things got away from Anderson in the seventh.
With two out and a runner on third, Anderson bounced a pitch to Macalester’s number nine batter, permitting the go-ahead run to score. The Carleton ace then yielded a single, walk and two-run double before being lifted. Another unearned run later, and Carleton was staring at a 5-1 defeat.
Game two started better for the home team as Ray Yong (Fy./Elmhurst, Ill./York) singled to start the bottom of the first inning and later raced home on Adam Zweber (So./Corvallis, Ore./Corvallis) sacrifice fly.
Bowen extended the lead to 3-0 in the third with his drive beyond the left-field wall. It was his sixth career roundtripper and came into the teeth of a strong wind blowing in from left. That would be the extent of the Carleton offense, though, as the Knights managed only two hits the rest of the way.
Macalester (17-9, 9-1 MIAC) scored twice in the fourth inning against game two starter Paul Dimick (Jr./Northfield, Minn./Northfield) without the benefit of a hit. Three walks, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly accounted for the runs.
Klein made several nice defensive plays at third base, none finer than his highlight reel play to end the top of the fifth. The defensive play of the day saved a run as he made a diving stop of Robert Williams smash down the left-field line, then delivered a strong throw to Bowen to record the out at first.
The Scots eventually did manage to knot the score, 3-3, with a run in the sixth following a single, two walks, and a wild pitch.
Carleton reliever Jackson Tears (Fy./Trabuco Canyon, Calif./JSerra) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh found himself in more trouble in the eighth. A leadoff double and an infield single was followed by an intentional walk, filling the bases with nobody out. The Scots got runs on a RBI groundout, consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly, making the final score 7-3.
The Knights are scheduled to close out the home portion of the 2011 schedule with a doubleheader against Gustavus Adolphus College on Tuesday, April 26. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m.
