Baseball ties HR record

The Penn baseball team hit two home runs to tie the season record of 37. Good pitching and good hitting come in spurts, and when they coincide, wins most likely follow. Yesterday, the Penn baseball team (10-15-1, 6-6 Ivy League) enjoyed both, and slayed the Dragons of Drexel (9-24-1) at Bower Field by a 7-4 score. Continuing the routine of rotating many pitchers in and out of the lineup in mid-week games, Penn coach Bob Seddon didn't over-use any pitcher in order to keep his arsenal fully stocked for the Ivy weekend quadruple-header. The six Penn pitchers utilized in yesterday's victory scattered eight hits and four runs over nine innings. Sophomore Anthony Napolitano (2-1) started the game, giving up but two hits in his two innings of work. He earned his second win in three days. With 15 strikeouts and just one loss in his six appearances, the Edison, N.J., native has established himself in the vast 13-man pitching rotation. Napolitano found himself pitching in a comfortable position after junior shortstop Glen Ambrosius drilled a two-run shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the first inning. In the bottom of the second inning, senior centerfielder Drew Corradini singled in sophomore catcher Ralph Vasami to put the Quakers up 3-0. Sophomore pitcher John Dolan yielded only one hit in the third and fourth, lowering his team-leading ERA to 2.08. Dolan struck out the first two batters he faced in the 1-2-3 third. "Getting off to a good start is crucial, but holding on to that lead is just as crucial," Dolan said. "Once we get a lead, it is so important to shut them down in the field so we still have that lead." Freshman pitcher Brian Burket held the Dragons hitless in the fifth inning. With two outs in the sixth, Drexel put together a string of three singles, the last one by first baseman Bruce Boehm, cutting the Quakers' lead to 3-1. "Another big thing in starting off is the first-pitch strike," Dolan said. "They didn't swing at one first-pitch strike all game, and I think that was key in myself, Anthony and Brian Burket having good outings." In the bottom of the sixth, Penn second baseman Joe Carlon knocked one out of the park for his team leading ninth dinger of the season. His two-run blast tied the Quakers' single-season record for home runs with 37. "The home runs have been so important, and I'll tell you why," Seddon said. "This team has worked very hard in the weight room with the weight lifting. We are big and strong. They've all bulked, and I hope this group does the same next year because it makes a difference." In the top of the seventh, Penn saw its four-run cushion blown away like the infield dirt. Freshman pitcher Adam Corleto faced just three batters, but gave up two earned runs. His replacement, senior Todd Mahoney, faced similar struggles as he gave up a two-run slam to Drexel shortstop Dennis Helkowski. "With such short outings, it can be tough," Dolan said. "If you make a couple of bad pitches right there, it's a bad outing. But if you start grooving it and get the first guy out in the inning, then you get in the zone and take it from there." With Drexel still hitting in the seventh, a bit earlier than usual, the Quakers entrusted their closer, senior Travis Arbogast, with the responsibility of putting out the Dragons' fire. He retired the next two batters and ended the inning. "Burket has really come on, and Dolan and Napolitano, two sophomores, pitched good for us," Seddon said. "We almost got in trouble in the seventh inning with our pitching, but other than that, I was happy." In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Quakers put two more insurance runs on the sometimes-uncooperative scoreboard. Struggling junior third baseman Shawn Spezio doubled down the first baseline, driving home pinch-runner Russ Farscht. Spezio, who advanced to third on an error, charged down the third baseline to score on a sacrifice suicide squeeze bunt by Vasami. Arbogast finished the ninth without allowing a baserunner past first base and picked up his second save of the season. "We need more mid-week games. We really do. That way you get to see kids play. Baseball is a sport where the more games you play, the more chance you have of getting into a groove," Seddon said. "We haven't been playing well at home, so it was good to play well here today."

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