The Red Devil Baseball team had a busy Spring Break down in Florida, where they participated in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Dickinson played ten games in six days and went an impressive 7-3 in this stretch. The team had particularly strong showings against Westfield State and Fitchburg State, sweeping both teams in doubleheaders. They also split a two game series against Trinity College and claimed double-digit victories over Stockton College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). The games against Stockton and MCLA were the clear highlights of the trip, with the Red Devils scoring 17 runs on 16 hits versus Stockton, and 19 runs on 19 hits against MCLA. Bowdoin College proved to be their toughest competition, handing the Red Devils two of their three losses on St. Patrick’s Day.

Dickinson tried to keep the positive momentum going with their return to campus, but fell to Elizabethtown 3-0 in a brutal loss. Despite recording ten hits during the game the Red Devils were unable to capitalize on their offensive production and were shutout for the first time this season. First year Ben Woodard made a promising start, allowing four hits, one earned run, and eight strikeouts in six innings of work. The Red Devils rebounded tremendously the next day, in a come from behind 5-4 victory over Penn St. Schuylkill. The Lions scored first, on an error and back-to-back singles in the fourth, and added two more to their tally in the top of the ninth. The incredible Red Devil rally kicked off with one out when Rick Hopkins ’17 reached on an error. With back-to-back singles from Ben Carter ’19 and Robbie Thompson ’18, Dickinson loaded the bases and scored three consecutive runs on two walks and a passed ball. A second strikeout put the pressure on the Red Devil offense, but senior Phil Werner came away as the hero with a line drive into right field to score the tying and winning runs. Tyler Clauson-Wolf ’16 got the win and threw five strikeouts in the final three innings.

The team unfortunately seemed to have run out of that Red Devil  magic on Friday with an 11-6 loss against Lancaster Bible College. Things were looking up during the top of the seventh, when Dickinson scored five to pull them within two of the home team. But the Red Devil bats fell silent in the last two innings, and Lancaster managed to score three more in the bottom of the eighth to put themselves securely in the lead.

The beginning of Centennial Conference begins this weekend, when the Red Devils host Swarthmore for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2. Saturday’s games are also an important moment for both teams as they team up with Vs Cancer for the Hits Vs Cancer Challenge. Vs Cancer is a nonprofit organization devoted to funding research for childhood cancer, and was founded by a former collegiate baseball player, and child cancer survivor. Fans can pledge money for every hit, and the team that raises the most will be declared the Challenge Winner. Currently Dickinson fan pledges total $130 per hit, while Swarthmore fans have pledged $345 per hit. To donate visit http://www.pledgeit.org/matchup/hitsvscancer.