Baseball scouting report: Pitching

The Dons’ starters, rocked by opposing hitters, has allowed six or more runs in more than half the games played this season.

Sophomore left-hander Bryan Clough is the only pitcher who has started all of the five games he has appeared in, going 27 innings, with a rotation low 3.00 ERA. Clough’s three wins tie him with two others for the team lead.

Sophomore right-hander Garrett Wilson also has three wins. He leads the team with 27.2 innings as of March 6, mainly as a starter. But he’s a contact pitcher, and has allowed a rotation high 4.88 ERA, with a team leading 30 hits allowed.

Without a solid third starter the Dons have relied on two long relievers, Kagan Richardson and Christian Uchytil, to bridge early exits to closer Matt Blanchard. The bullpen mainstays have allowed seven runs on 23 strikeouts spread over 36.1 innings combined.

Richardson also won three wins, all in relief. Hitters bat a miniscule .250 against him, while allowing 2.77 earned runs per game. The freshman right-hander has yet to start a game, though he might be more valuable as a swingman coming out of the ‘pen.