The Name is Bond…Alex Ryan-Bond
Garnet sophomore right-hander Alex Ryan-Bond served notice on Friday afternoon, blanking Washington College 7-0 for his first complete game shut-out in Centennial Conference action at Clothier Fields.
The Shoremen arrived on campus with a .310 team batting average, good for second-best in the Conference, and owners of a 6-3 win over Swarthmore in Chestertown on Tuesday afternoon.
Ryan-Bond made sure the Shoremen left town with heads shaking, limiting Washington College (10-10, 4-6 CC) to six hits over the span of nine innings. The sophomore exhibited excellent control, striking out four batters without issuing a free pass.
The Garnet bats got busy early, tabbing Shoremen starter Shawn Hampt for five runs in the first four innings. Sam Faeder '07, the hottest Swarthmore hitter, got the scoring started in the bottom of the second. Faeder drew a one-out walk, swiped second base, and moved to third on a passed ball with designated hitter Travis Allen '08 at the plate. Allen induced a walk of his own and stole second base as Hampt retired Noah Cooper-Harris '07 on strikes for out number two. Catcher Ben Mendelson '08 looked at two pitches before hitting a seeing-eye single just inside the third base line. Faeder and Allen crossed the plate on the hit, giving Swarthmore a 2-0 lead.
Swarthmore (5-15, 3-7 CC) scored three more runs in the fourth, with the same hitters circling the base paths. Faeder reached on an error, Allen drew his second walk of the game, and Cooper-Harris worked a base on balls to load 'em up. Mendelson went down swinging for out number one, but the Washington catcher was unable to block the ball, allowing Faeder to score from third. Scott Dalane '08 made things worse for Hampt, launching a 1-1 pitch into left for a two-run double and a 5-0 Swarthmore lead.
Faeder tripled (pictured above) and scored in the seventh, while Dalane made the score 7-0 in the eighth, crossing the plate on Jody Fisher's fifth career triple, a moon shot to right-field.
The Washington pitching staff had been stingy of late, allowing only 131 hits on the season and walking only 49 batters, both second-best in the Centennial.
Faeder continued to swing a sizzling bat, collecting two hits and scoring three runs on the day, raising his season batting average to .281. Over the last 7 games, the lanky shortstop is hitting at a .476 clip with four extra-base hits, five runs, and three RBIs.
Dalane put in a solid afternoon at the plate as well, reaching base in all four at bats, collecting two hits, two walks, two runs batted in, and one run scored.
But the day belonged to Ryan-Bond, earning his first collegiate victory after facing only 34 Shoremen batters. The burly right-hander deftly changed speeds and arm angles, getting all four of his strikeout victims looking and induced 14 Shoremen ground ball outs.
Swarthmore hits the road for their next contest, traveling to Carlisle, Pa. tomorrow, April 16th, for a 1:00 p.m. double header at Dickinson College.