Eden Blanker 26’ played hero for Dickinson throughout their doubleheader against Washington College.
Dickinson has had a bumpy start in conference play. However, they still have ten games to play. If the Red Devils can get the production they got from Blanker and others this weekend, they will have no trouble claiming a high seed.
Blanker had an incredible freshman season. Some players understandably need at least part of a year to get acclimated to the new quality of collegiate play. Blanker did not have that need. She looked like a seasoned player from game 1. The catcher’s first year with DC was unreal. Blanker hit to a 1.120 OPS. Anything over .800 OPS is considered very good. Blanker was utterly dominant as a freshman. She hit 7 home runs and had 32 RBI and a near .700 slugging percentage.
Expectations were high going into Blanker’s sophomore year. She was the focal point of the Red Devil offense. Other teams knew to pay extra attention to her. Blanker experienced the sophomore slump many players who had great rookie seasons go through. She was still amongst the top half of Dickinson’s hitters, but her .722 OPS was a relatively severe drop from that of her freshman campaign.
Blanker is getting back to her best this year. She has an OPS well above .900 and is seeing the ball well. Her performance on April 5 emphasized the success she is having. Blanker came to bat in the ninth inning of a 2-2 tie. Both offenses struggled mightily as both pitchers had their way. Blanker had yet to have her say on the game. Going into the at bat she was 0-3, struggling to get enough lift against a pitcher trying to keep the ball down. Blanker remarked, “I had been learning a little bit in each of my at bats and tried to make the adjustment needed.”
Clearly, the adjustment paid off. Blanker delivered a 1-0 pitch over the infamously deep Dickinson park wall to win the game for the Red Devils.
On the moment, Blanker said ,“I was just thinking, my teammates have done their job and have gotten me this far with coming back twice in extras. Our Coach(Richwine)always says to go down hard swinging so I just really put my all into it.” Blanker was mobbed and celebrated by her smiling teammates as Blanker hit home plate, confirming the victory.
Dickinson only had a fighting chance in the game due to the effort from Erin McMahon 27’. McMahon was brilliant. The sophomore pitched a complete game, allowing no earned runs on only four hits. The pitcher mixed up locations, pitches and speeds to keep the Shorewomen off balance.
McMahon came in with lofty expectations but, in her freshman year, she struggled getting used to a new level of play, pitching to an ERA near six in seven conference starts. McMahon more than made up for it by being Dickinson’s most successful hitter in conference play. She had a .449 average and a 1.001 OPS. This year McMahon has excelled in both elements of her game to be an elite part of the Dickinson team.
In this outing, McMahon kept control of the game by throwing strikes and attacking hitters. Her aggressive pitching helped her strike out a career high of nine batters. McMahon showed how dangerous she can be for Dickinson, especially when she has her confidence.
Dickinson played tough in game two but were not able to pull off the victory. The Red Devils scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh to tie the game. For the second time in the day, Blanker played the role of hero. The catcher stepped up to the plate with her team down one and down to their last out. The junior did not let the moment get the best of her. Blanker showed off her impressive strength, driving a 2-1 fastball well over the fence to tie the game. Even in that very deep field, there was no doubt that the ball was going to clear the yard. The team showed energy and passion. They faltered in the eighth but there was a lot that Dickinson can take into the remainder of conference games.
