TUCSON, AZ. – The Wesleyan baseball team was in Arizona once again for day two of their spring break trip out west. The Cardinals faced off against the Golden Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus, splitting the doubleheader. Wesleyan took game one 2-0 behind an impressive pitching performance by Patrick Murphy '24, who went the entire seven innings only giving up four hits. In game two there was a little more offense on both sides, eventually ending in the Gusties taking it 5-2. Gustavus Adolphus moves to 2-6 after splitting with Wesleyan Monday afternoon. Wesleyan moves to 2-1 with the split, looking to rebound in their two games tomorrow.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Both pitchers were dealing in this one, each holding their counterpart's offense without a hit through two innings of play. The Gusties' Tyler Cosgrove started by striking out four of Wesleyan's first seven hitters. Murphy matched him, holding the Gusties without a hit while ending both innings with double plays
• In the 3^rd both teams' threatened to score, but Cosgrove and Murphy fought their way out of jams to make it to the 4^th unscathed. Wesleyan left two runners on after a pair of walks, with Gustavus Adolphus stranding the bases loaded after managing their first hit of the contest
• The Cardinals were able to push the first run of the game across in the top of the 4^th. Kyle Sylvester '22 led off with a single, that was followed by a Dylan Judd '22 double to right field that was able to Sylvester from first
• The Gusties got a few men in scoring position over the next few innings, but Murphy responded every time to get the Cardinals out of the jam. After two groundouts to open the 7^th it appeared as though the game was going to go into the bottom half at 1-0, but the Cardinals rallied to add a two-out insurance run. Christian Boudreau '25 worked a walk, then stole second to give Matt Halas '24 an opportunity with a runner in scoring position and he came through. The junior ripped a RBI single to left field and Wesleyan went into the bottom half of the final frame up 2-0. After allowing a leadoff single, Murphy responded like he did all day with a double play followed by a strike out for Wesleyan's second win of the season

NOTES:

• Murphy (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K's) goes the distance in shutout fashion, while tying a career-high with six strikeouts
• Sylvester (2-for-3, 1 R) was the only Cardinal with multiple hits on the afternoon, his 11^th such game of his career
• Wesleyan outhit Gustavus Adolphus 5-4, leaving seven runners on base compared to five from the Gusties

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

• There was some offense early in game number two of the doubleheader, with the Gusties getting on the board in the top of the 1^st. A leadoff double from Bryce Novak, eventually followed by a single from Gavin Baker gave them a 1-0 lead. Wesleyan responded with two singles to lead off the bottom half, but eventually stranded the bases loaded, still trailing 1-0
• Novak was involved again in the 3^rd, driving home his teammate to extend their advantage to two going into the bottom of the inning. Wesleyan again threatened with two men on, but this time were able to push one across thanks to an error and the lead was cut in half at 2-1
•  After Gustavus Adolphus was able to add one more to open the 4^th, the pitchers settled in. Both teams remained scoreless through the top of the 6^th. That was until Wesleyan was able to find a score in the bottom half of the 6th, with Ricky Finkel '23 delivering a pinch-hit single to send Jack Carpenter '25 home who opened the inning by getting hit by a pitch, 3-2 Gusties
•  Going into the final frame down only one run, Wesleyan couldn't hold off Gustavus Adolphus. The Gusties added two more runs on a Baker base-clearing single and pushed their advantage to three going into the bottom of the 7^th. Wesleyan was able to get two men on to open the inning, but a lineout turned into a double play and quickly took the wind out of their sails as they fell 5-2

NOTES:

• Luke Siegel (4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 K's) was impressive for the Gusties, allowing no earned runs through four innings. Joey Light-Rake '25 (2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 K's) might have been Wesleyan's best pitcher of the afternoon, coming in relief in the 4^th inning
• Wesleyan was outhit 9-5 by the Gusties, while leaving eight men on base

 
UP NEXT:

• Wesleyan will play another doubleheader Wednesday, March 14^th against Augsburg at 1 and 4 pm in Arizona. The Cardinals faced off against Auggies last year in Arizona, taking them down both times including a 9-8 13-inning thriller.