Bullets surmount Garnet on field, raucous dugout to earn sweep
By Sean Brower, Staff Writer
Junior Chase Stopyra pitched 6 1/3 innings for a win against Swarthmore in game two of the Bullets doubleheader.
Less than twenty-four hours removed from a doubleheader split against Washington College, the Gettysburg baseball team played another one, against the Swarthmore College Garnet. The previous day’s events did not affect the Bullets. They went on to sweep Swarthmore, despite their chaotic dugout, and complete a 4-1 weekend.
“I feel great. It was great to come out here on a beautiful day and just get a couple of wins. I couldn’t ask for a better day,” said sophomore third baseman Logan Sneed.
Sneed, who went a combined 5-for-10 with three RBI’s and three runs, was one of several Bullets who had productive days at the plate. Seniors Henry Klimowicz, Luke Lawrence, Shawn Moffitt, and Steve Wright all recorded multiple hits, the latter extending his hit streak to seventeen games.
“I’ve just been seeing the ball pretty well. [I’ve] just been reacting at the plate, instead of overthinking things. But we played a really good game as a team. Some good momentum came this weekend,” said Lawrence, who went a combined 4-for-7 and recorded four runs and two RBI’s.
For the first five innings, game one was a neck and neck affair. The Garnet opened the scoring in the top of the first, with senior right fielder Roy Walker doubling to drive home junior shortstop Wesley Fishburn. Three innings later, Fishburn hit a solo home run over the left field fence.
But the Bullets fought back in the bottom of the fourth. Sneed led off by singling on a bunt and advancing to second, on a throwing error by his counterpart, sophomore Cal Barnett-Mayotte. Three batters later, Sneed was on third via a wild pitch by junior Brian Gibbs and Klimowicz on first via a walk. Junior left fielder Connor Tom singled to right, where Walker could not handle the ball, allowing the tying runs to score on his error.
Swarthmore would break the tie in the next inning, however. With two outs and the bases loaded, Fishburn singled to right to drive in first years Conor Elliot and Charles Levitt, putting the Garnet ahead 4-2.
The Bullets would not go away. In the bottom of the fifth, Moffitt and junior shortstop John Convery doubled and walked, respectively, to lead things off. Lawrence then reached on his attempted bunt, via an error by Gibbs, allowing Moffitt to score. Sneed then singled to second, tying the game, and would then steal second. Three batters later, Wright singled up the middle, driving in Convery and Sneed and giving the Bullets the lead, which they would keep for the rest of the game.
Not to be lost in the Bullets’ timely and consistent hitting was the work of junior Rich Power. With the Swarthmore dugout erupting in raucous jeers, Power stepped up and
threw eight innings, allowing only two earned runs, striking out four, and walking none. Junior Aaron Bezio and first year Jonny Bray combined in the top of the ninth for the save, the add on runs in the ninth and eighth proving indispensable, with the Garnet threatening to tie the game.
Game two started in a similar fashion, with Fishburn cracking a single to drive home Levitt in the top of the first. Junior Chase Stopyra, however, normally a reliever, stepped up to the occasion. He threw 6 1/3 solid innings of three run ball, striking out two and walking only one.
“I just took them one inning at a time. Every inning I went out there, I just wanted to deliver, make good pitches, and I knew my fielders had my back. So that’s what I did, and it worked,” said Stopyra.
The Bullets gave Stopyra some breathing room in the bottom of the fourth. Convery and Lawrence singled with one out and Sneed doubled to tie the game at one. Junior catcher Will Anderson then singled to third, where Barnett-Mayotte made a throwing error, allowing Sneed and Lawrence to score. Klimowicz added one more run via a single.
In the bottom of the eighth, with the Bullets up 6-3, the team put the game out of reach. With two outs, Convery, Lawrence, Sneed, and Anderson all reached to push across three more runs, pushing the lead to 9-3.
Despite allowing an RBI double by Walker, first year pitcher Matt Ainsworth secured the save.
“I loved to beat those guys…we’re in a good spot right now. I’m excited for the next week,” said Lawrence.
