By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
After a start to the season that saw Springfield College baseball score just two runs across its first three games, the Pride bounced back in a big way on Saturday, tallying 23 runs across both legs of a home doubleheader that they swept against MCLA, improving to 2-3 on the season.
A large part of the Pride’s change in fortunes stems from a more aggressive approach at the plate. This shows up in the box scores, as Springfield combined for 23 hits between the two games. It also struck graduate assistant coach Arlo Pike while the game was going on.
“Early in the count, we weren’t watching a lot of pitches go,” Pike said. “We were ready to jump on the pitches that we wanted to hit. Guys went up there with the right attitude, the right intent, drive the baseball, drive guys in.”
In each of the Pride’s two wins, big innings played a key role. In game one, all of the Pride’s offense came in the span of two innings: five runs in the second, followed by a whopping nine in the third inning.
During these frames, the basepaths on Archie Allen Field could have reasonably been mistaken for a carousel. The Pride got runners on base through a constant mix of base hits, errors and hit batsmen. In the end, all nine hitters came to the plate in the second inning, and 13 Springfield batters stepped in the box in the third.
The second leg of the doubleheader featured a continuation of this theme, as the Pride posted back-to-back three-run innings in the third and fourth. While they didn’t bat around in either inning, Springfield again used a blend of hits, walks and errors to energize its offense.
Between the two games, MCLA made eight errors, a mark that highlights the abundance of opportunities the Pride had to take advantage of throughout the afternoon.
One player who seized those opportunities was Springfield second baseman Nate Garafalo. Amongst a lineup full of strong performances, Garafalo stood out by recording three hits and six RBI between the two games, reaching base four times.
On the pitching side, it was another Nate that led the way for Springfield in the opening game. Lefty Nate Kelleher-Mochak threw five shutout innings, allowing just three runners on base over the course of his outing and picking up his first win of the season. As it turned out, the only uncertainty with Kelleher-Mochak on Saturday was whether he was going to stay in the game longer.
“I thought Nate looked great,” Pike said. “He did his job. He wanted to stay out, so that was a tough conversation.”
In game two, the Pride were buoyed by a strong outing from righthander JP Catellier. He tossed six innings of three-run ball, enabling the Pride to enjoy a low-stress conclusion to a successful day on the field.
Saturday’s response stood out to Pike, especially on the heels of an 0-3 start to the season. Pike believes the way the Pride carried themselves against MCLA is indicative of a team that knows they have what it takes to compete and ultimately win important late-season games.
“The biggest thing is confidence,” Pike said. “Seeing the guys know that we can hit, we can score, we can take advantage of bad defense. It gives them all the realization that they can compete as good as anybody.”
This confidence is something the Pride stressed throughout their preparations this past week, and they will look to build on it as the season picks up.
“It’s something we’ve talked about this week, self-belief,” Pike said. “Knowing we belong here. Giving them the chance to go out and perform and see the results that can happen once they play free and are confident throughout the whole game.”
The Pride will head to Florida over spring break to take part in the RussMatt Invitational. They’ll play seven games in six days, the first of which will come on Saturday, Mar. 15 against Trinity College at 1:45 p.m.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)