Boys Varsity Baseball Double Header against Nobles & Greenough School and Belmont Hill
By Michael Yang
Big Red’s Boys Varsity Baseball team took on Nobles & Greenough School and Belmont Hill School in a double header last Saturday. Exeter won the first game 9-8, but suffered a 4-8 loss in the second game.
“They were both super competitive and it was great to be back out there and competing. The first game was very close and it was a very tight game, but we stayed in it and persevered and were able to come out with the win,” player and lower James Clavel said.
Player and lower Sean Greene added, “we went into this week locked in, with a goal of taking home two W's. We had some ups and downs, but we came away with one W.”
Teammate and senior Carlos Jones reflected on the pace and atmosphere of the game. “As a team, we had a real good week preparing for Saturday’s doubleheader. Before our first set of games, everyone felt pretty excited to get back to being out there and competing. Then last week, we did a great job of keeping that energy and excitement going during our practices,” Jones said. “When Saturday came, it felt like the perfect day for baseball. Between the warm weather and sunny skies, we were all eager as a team to get playing. That’s probably why we got out to a hot start with our bats and carried that to our first win.”
Player and senior John Harrington shared thoughts on the transition from the team’s first game against Nobles & Greenough School to the second against Belmont Hill School. “We were coming off a weekend split with Nobles, so we used this week to work on the mistakes we made last weekend,” Harrington said. “We did a lot of situational work with bunts just to ensure that our infield is all on the same page when the time comes.”
Although player and senior James McKenna was injured during the game, the collaborative spirit of the team was evident. “Watching from the sidelines, you can tell that we support each other no matter the outcome of a play or a game. Our team chemistry pushes us to be much more than a collection of solid players, but rather a competitive team that will try and win by any means necessary, even if that means sacrificing individual stats.”
Clavel similarly noted the prevalence of collaboration during practices. “In practice we focused on a lot of team plays, like bunt defense, first and third plays, and PFPs, as well as infield outfield fielding. Pitchers also threw bullpens to keep our arms warm for the games. We also took a lot of swings, in the cage and on the field, and it translated very well to how we hit in the games,” Clavel said.
After two years off the field, Harrington highly anticipated the game. “To be back on the field was great, it was my first time being able to represent Exeter athletically which has been a long time coming,” Harrington said.
Player and upper Jake Shapiro added, “Obviously it was awesome to get back out there and play a game.”
Jones said, “we have a good team this year and feel like we can win against anyone. With the first few games out of the way, we’re looking forward to building off of them and playing hard the rest of the season.”
