Five years in the making, senior pitcher Pat Driscoll continues to lead the Polar Bears.
In the opener of a three game set against Colby last Friday, Driscoll pitched a complete game shut out on just five hits and no walks. He has now pitched 17 straight scoreless innings for the team and hasn't allowed a run in the month of April.
"He's having fun out there, but more importantly, he's having fun competing," said Coach Mike Connolly.
The Bears went on to sweep Colby the following day, taking the first game 3-2 and the second 13-0. Carter Butland '10, started the first game, going seven strong innings with just two earned runs on the day. But once again, aside from a three-run first, the team's bats went cold for the majority of the game.
In the third game of the series, however, the offense responded well, exploding for thirteen runs off 12 hits. Joe Berte '09 and Brett Gorman '11 each drove in three runs to lead the team. Kevin Zikaras '10 also had three hits on the day and scored three times. Joe Pace '10 started for the Bears and struck out six in just five innings pitched. Once again, a reliable bullpen finished the game off with four scoreless innings. It was the first and only time they were needed throughout the three games.
After last weekend, Bowdoin seems to have virtually eliminated Colby from the playoffs. The three-game sweep of Colby has also moved the Bears into second place in their division as they head into the weekend against Tufts University. And as Trinity runs away with the top spot, the race for the second and only other playoff spot seems to be a two-team fight between Tufts and Bowdoin, as Bates continues to sit at the bottom of the league.
"Every series is as important as the next," Connolly said. "They're all playoff games."
But it seems that this series might be the season's deciding factor. Just a year ago, Tufts took two out of three from the Bears on their way to the playoffs, squeezing out Bowdoin in a head-to-head tiebreaker.
"There's no bad blood between the two teams I don't think, but it's definitely growing into quite a rivalry," said Connolly.
This year, Tufts is a mediocre 10-14 overall and 2-4 in the NESCAC going into the weekend.
The Polar Bears are now 16-12 on the season, 3-3 in the NESCAC and are currently sitting on a four-game winning streak. The team looks to continue its success as it makes its way down to Medford, Mass. The first game of the series is scheduled for today at 3 p.m.