April 16, 2004 

AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College baseball team evened its NESCAC West Division record at 2-2 and improved to 9-9 overall with a lopsided 15-2 win over visiting conference foe Hamilton College (5-15/2-5 NESCAC) on Friday. The Jeffs hammered out 21 hits, while rookie hurler Brian Donahue (Sudbury, MA) ran his record to 4-0 with six innings of three-hit, six-strikeout pitching. 

Five different Amherst players registered multiple hit games against a trio of Hamilton pitchers. Junior designated hitter Joe Houkal (Boulder, CO) led the way with four hits, including two doubles. He also scored four runs and drove in another. Junior leftfielder Dave Powers (Andover, MA) added a double and three singles, driving in a run and scoring three times. Senior second baseman Brandon Cody (Boston, MA), who leads the team with a .385 average, doubled twice and scored three runs en route to a 3-for-4 afternoon. Sophomore shortstop Zach Schonberger (Rye, NY) went 3-for-4 as well with a triple, three RBIs and a run scored. Senior centerfielder Paul Whiting (Mission Viejo, CA) added a pair of singles and an RBI, while rookie catcher Jared Banner (Brooklyn, NY) and junior third baseman Josh Santry (Allendale, NJ) each doubled for the Jeffs. First-year Mark Mazzone (Chicago, IL) chipped in with a pinch-hit, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh. 

Donahue was stellar on the mound, surrendering just one run (unearned) in the opening frame and lowering his team-best ERA to 1.62. Rookie portsider Dan Schwartz (New York, NY) came on in the seventh, striking out three in two innings of relief, before sophomore reliever Brant Ford (Fabius, NY) shut the door with a scoreless ninth for Amherst. 

Sophomore Jamie Matthews (Brookline, MA) drew the start for Hamilton and gave up eight runs (three earned) on 12 Amherst hits before exiting the game in the sixth. Amherst scored eight more runs (seven earned) in two innings off reliever John Moore (Pittsfield, MA), before touching up Chris Gardner (Belfast, ME) for a final run in the eighth. Pat McGarry (Kennett Square, PA) and James Nolan (Lynnfield, MA) each doubled for the Continentals in defeat. 

Amherst and visiting Hamilton will resume their three-game set with a NESCAC West Division doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday) at noon. 

Box Score/Play-by-Play