PEA Downs Tabor Behind Larkin's Complete Game

Boys’ varsity baseball snapped their slump with a 7-2 win at home over Tabor Academy. Exeter, standing at a weak 2-8 record before the matchup, upset the third-best team in the league. Turning around a season written off, the Big Red boys proved they could compete with the some of the best competition in the league and gave everyone a hint of the potential this young team had.Tabor swaggered into our field hoping to end their own two game losing streak. After starting off with a hot 7-0 record this season, they began to drop in the power rankings after a loss at Deerfield. However, Exeter, the second-worst team in the league, was a “shoo-in” victory for them, or so they thought.“Tabor came onto our field like they owned the place,” senior Quinn Larkin said. “They messed around in warm ups and acted like they didn’t even have to try. Coach Barbin pointed it out before the game and fire us up, and we played with a chip on our shoulders, coming out with the win.” If there was a “chip” on the team’s shoulder, it must’ve been a pretty big dent, because the team put up the second most points put up by the team in a game all year, and it was done by everyone. The win was a complete group effort. Seven out of the nine starters got a hit, there was a consistent amount of scoring throughout the whole game, and the offense managed to push Big Red above and beyond Tabor.“The offense really came alive toward the end of the game,” senior co-captain Nate Dow said. “We had contributions all the way through the order, and every batter helped us bring more runners around to score.”Upper Brendan Rosseau may have topped them all with the hit of the game. Larkin said, “Brendan Rosseau’s second at bat stood out to me. I was chilling in the dugout, spitting sunflower seeds, when I heard an intense crack. I looked up to see the ball fly on a line way over the left fielder’s head. I thought it was for sure it was gone, but it hit the fence on the fly several feet up. Brendan ended up at second, but his sheer power impressed everyone.” Everyone on the team was cracking the ball, Big Red’s offense could not be stopped.On the defensive side of the ball, Big Red’s pitching was stellar. Larkin pitched a complete game, all seven innings, and had the most dominant outing of an Exeter pitcher all the season. Larkin walked only one player, something that’s been a weakness of Exeter the entire season, and was able to keep Tabor off bases and out of scoring position.“Quinn Larkin pitched a terrific game, keeping the ball in the strike zone all seven innings,” senior Alec Greaney said. “One difficulty for our staff as a whole has been throwing strikes, and we’ve given up a lot of free passes this season that have led to runs. Quinn hammered the zone, and our defense made the plays."What the game against Tabor proved was that Exeter had potential, and that’s when they lived up to it. There may have been games they lost, there may have been games that they’ve been blown out, but that’s beside the point. Their showing against Tabor showed them that they had the offense, defense and pitching to beat anybody, and that’s exactly what they need.With the whole team operating on all cylinders, this weekend’s double-header matchup against Andover should be quite the outing for Exeter. Andover is the worst team in the league, and they’ll come visiting us sporting their 2-9 record, hoping to turn their season around as well. The first game is at 3:00, and everyone is encouraged to come support Big Red baseball as they hope to turn their season against rival Andover.