March 10, 2008
Shoremen Feast on Pilgrims, 15-3
Washington's Bats Come Alive for 19 Hits

COCOA, FL - After scoring two runs on 11 hits in its first two games of the season, the Washington College baseball team recorded 19 hits en route to a 15-3 victory over New England College tonight at the Cocoa Expo in Cocoa, FL. The Shoremen (1-2) picked up their first win of the season, while the Pilgrims fell to 0-3.

The Shoremen got on the scoreboard early as sophomore third baseman Matt Boucher (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) singled through the left side to drive in sophomore outfielder Tom Heppard (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Boucher came around to score two batters later when senior first baseman Wes Anderson (Walkersville, MD/Walkersville) drove him in with a single to left center to make the score 2-0 in favor of Washington.

Heppard gave the Shoremen a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when he drove in junior shortstop Greg Perret (Morris Plains, NJ/Bayley Ellard) by reaching on a fielder's choice. Heppard then came around to score on a single by junior Joe Coveney (Madison, NJ/Madison) to make it 4-0. A two-run double by Daniel Pratt in the top of third trimmed the lead to 4-2. In the bottom of third, Perret drove in senior outfielder Kirk Hines (Ellicott City, MD/Mount St. Joseph) with a single to push the lead to 5-2. Joe Clark tripled to lead off the fifth inning for the Pilgrims and then scored on a ground out by Pratt to cut the lead back to two runs at 5-3. Washington got that run back in the bottom of the sixth inning when Boucher singled through the right side to drive in senior outfielder James Tidwell (Newark, DE/Charter School of Wilmington).

The Shoremen broke the game open in the seveth inning, scoring seven runs. Washington loaded the bases on two walks and a a hit batter before Perret walked to drive in Anderson for the Shoremen's seventh run of the game. Junior catcher Jim Bannar (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) then banged out a pinch-hit single to score junior second baseman Ben Kaplan (Fairfax, VA/W.T. Woodson), Hines scored on a sacrifice fly by Tidwell, Perret scored on a Heppard single, Boucher drove in Bannar with a single, and Kaplan drove in Heppard and Boucher with a two-run single to give Washington a 13-3 cushion. Washington added two more runs in the eighth as Perret doubled and scored on a single by Bannar and Bannar scored on a single by freshman outfielder Tom Ogden (Wilmington, DE/St. Mark's).

Boucher finished the game 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored for the Shoremen, while Heppard was 2-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBI, and two stolen bases. Perret was 2-or-3 with two walks, a double, two RBI, and three runs scored and Bannar was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Five Washington pitchers - sophomore Chris Keiper (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan), Coveney, junior Matt Swanson (Highland, MD/Mount St. Joseph), sophomore Benjy Duke (Elizabeth, CO/Denver Academy), and sophomore Sean Maloney (Massey, MD/Kent County) - combined to allow four hits and seven walks in the win. Coveney was credited with the victory after allowing one run on one hit and one walk in two and one-third innings.

The Shoremen will play Norwich University tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at the Cocoa Expo.

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