Baseball splits series at Davidson as star players begin to emerge

Upper West Side NY

09 March, 2022

4:52 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY MILES SCHACHNER MARCH 8, 2022 In the team's second series of the season, baseball held its own against a talented out-of-conference foe. Of the four games played against the Davidson Wildcats (9-3), Columbia (3-4) won two contests. The Lions slugged five home runs and had solid pitching performances throughout the four-game set to spoil the Wildcats' eight-game winning streak. In the process, some of the Light Blue's most talented players started to break out. Friday's matchup was a battle between each team's best pitcher, and Davidson's ace won out. The Wildcats' righty Nolan DeVos stymied the Lions for five innings, striking out nine batters and only allowing three hits. DeVos, who has a 0.53 ERA through 17 frames this year, used a combination of breaking balls and fastballs as strikeout pitches to keep the Light Blue off balance. On Columbia's end, senior right-hander Sean Higgins could not repeat his success from the season opener. Davidson pounced on Higgins for five runs in four innings, slamming two home runs in the process. With DeVos on the mound, Columbia squandered two chances to drive in runs with the bases loaded. After DeVos exited the game, the Lions pushed two runs across in the eighth inning but did not come closer to the Wildcats, who won 5-2. Saturday's doubleheader was where the Lions shined, winning both games after strong performances on both sides of the ball. Junior infielder Andy Blake bolstered the Lions' offense, slugging a homer in both games and knocking in five runs. Meanwhile, the Light Blue's pitching shut down the Wildcats when the Lions needed it most. For the second time this season, Blake opened the scoring in Saturday's first game with a home run in the first inning, providing Columbia with a 2-0 lead that would soon grow. After junior outfielder Hayden Schott singled another run home, Blake had one more opportunity during the second inning to drive in runs. The New Jersey native hit a two-run single up the middle, giving Columbia a 5-0 cushion. Following an impressive performance from Columbia first-year starting pitcher Joe Sheets, who threw four innings and gave up one run, the Wildcats clawed their way back in the game. Davidson jumped all over first-year lefty Will Parkinson for four runs and tied the game at 6 following a pitching change. In the seventh inning, the last in the first game of the doubleheader, Columbia came through in the clutch. Schott drove Blake home with an RBI groundout, ultimately giving the Lions a 7-6 win. Saturday's second game saw less drama than the first. The Lions supplemented a strong start from first-year pitcher Andy Leon with runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to seal the game. Both Blake and senior outfielder Joshua Solomon hit homers, and first-year infielder Griffin Palfrey and first-year utility man Skye Selinsky added RBIs to give Columbia five runs. Meanwhile, sophomore lefty JD Ogden was outstanding in relief, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings and fanning two to collect the save. The Light Blue could not hold on to win the series on Sunday. Davidson scored three runs off graduate student pitcher Billy Black and three more off the Lions' relievers. Blake continued his torrid stretch at the plate, driving in two more runs. Solomon also homered for the second consecutive day, and Selinsky knocked the first home run of his career. The offensive effort, however, would not be enough to overcome Davidson's lead. Once again, Columbia struggled against a strong starting pitcher. Davidson southpaw Ryan Feczko, who has compiled a 1.26 ERA over 14.1 innings thus far, threw 5.2 innings of one-run ball for the Wildcats, striking out six. Columbia head coach Brett Boretti said he was impressed with the young pitcher's performance. "I thought Feczko pitched a real good game for Davidson today, and he kept our guys off-balance," he said. "We battled late to get back into it but came up short." Overall, it was a mixed weekend, but Columbia can be proud of some successes. Blake and Solomon have begun to emerge as middle-of-the-order power bats, while Leon, Sheets, and Ogden all put forth performances that can certainly be built upon. In what was a homecoming weekend for Boretti, who played baseball for Davidson and is a member of the school's Hall of Fame, the Lions proved they could compete with the Wildcats. The 3-4 starting record is Columbia's best through seven games since 2016. "I thought we got solid pitching for most of the weekend, and our defense was good. We competed really well and are getting positive contributions from a lot of players," Boretti said. "We are looking forward to heading to Baylor next weekend to kick off the spring break week." The Lions will kick off a Texas road trip on Friday at 4 p.m. against Baylor in Waco. Sports Editor Miles Schachner can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @milesschachner. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.