First-year Angus Schaller drilled a three-run shot in his first collegiate at bat.

Jeffs Edged by St. Thomas, Best Benedictine to Open Season

March 19, 2006

FORT MYERS, FL – The Amherst College baseball team suffered a narrow 10-9 extra-inning defeat to the University of St. Thomas on Saturday night, but rebounded on Sunday with a 12-6 win over Benedictine University in Ft. Myers, Fla. First-year shortstop Angus Schaller (Leucadia, CA) stormed on to the scene, smashing a three-run homer in his first collegiate at bat en route to a 6-for-9 offensive performance with two bombs, a double and seven RBIs.

Junior fireballer Brian Donahue (Sudbury, MA) was stellar on the mound in the season-opener, tossing six innings of scoreless ball. He surrendered just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Senior Joe Vladeck (Washington, DC) and first-year Ryan Platzbecker (Westlake, OH) were the victims of six unearned runs over the final 3 2/3rd innings as Platzbecker suffered the loss. Schaller was 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs, while junior Mark Mazzone (Wilmette, IL) and rookie Brendan Powers (Walpole, MA) were each 2-for-4 and junior Tom Scott (Randolph, NJ) was 2-for-3. Senior Zach Schonberger (Rye, NY), junior Jared Banner (Brooklyn, NY) and sophomore Josh Card (N. Adams, MA) each had an RBI.

Junior hurler Nick Kehoe (Washington Depot, CT) picked up his first win in Sunday’s bout, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk, while fanning six batters. Senior Rob Anderson (Winnetka, IL) picked up the save with four innings of relief work. Senior Andrew Green (Lexington, MA) banged out four hits at the plate, picking up a pair of RBIs, and sophomore Neal Allar (Floyds Knobs, IN) plated four runs, two of which came on his first home run of the season. Schonberger and Schaller had two RBIs apiece as Schaller was 3-for-5 with a double. Mazzone, Powers and senior Dave Levinson (Chester Park, PA) each had an RBI.

Amherst returns to action tomorrow (Monday) at 4 p.m. against Salisbury University in Fort Myers, Fla.