MIDDLETOWN, CT.- The Wesleyan baseball team completes a come-from-behind victory over Little Three rival Amherst Friday night at Dresser Diamond to create a three-way tie atop the NESCAC West standings. With the victory, the Cardinals are now tied with Amherst and Middlebury at 4-3 atop the NESCAC West with a crucial double-header looming in Amherst between these two teams again tomorrow, Saturday April 22^nd. Amherst shot out to a 4-1 lead through 5 ½ inning of play before the Cardinals responded with a four-run 6^th to take their first lead of the contest. The Mammoths tied it again in the 7^th, but three runs in the bottom half of the 7^th and 8^th innings gave the Cards back the lead. Amherst had one more push in the final frame, plating two with the tying run on second but Wesleyan closed the door for the 8-7 victory. Wesleyan improves to 11-13 (4-3 NESCAC) while Amherst falls to 15-9-1 (4-3 NESCAC).
 
HIGHLIGHTS:

• Amherst started early with the bats, putting together two hits that put runners on the corners with nobody out. Patrick Murphy '24 forced the Mammoths three-hole hitter to ground out into a double play, but a run came across and Amherst held a 1-0 lead after a half inning of play. The Cardinals went down in order and the pitchers settled in with no runs over the next two innings of play
• The Cardinals evened the game in the bottom of the 3^rd thanks to a Amherst fielding error, but the Mammoths were quick to respond in the 4^th. They opened the inning with three straight hits to drive in one and take the lead back at 2-1. Two straight walks then forced home another and the Mammoths had a two-run advantage with the bases still juiced. Murphy stopped the bleeding by forcing a double play ball to Ernie Little '26 who made the tag then tossed it to first to end the inning with Amherst only up 3-1
• After the Mammoths added another one in the 5^th to make it 4-1, Wesleyan's offense found their footing in a big way with a four-run 6^th inning to take their first lead of the game. Kyle Sylvester '22 led it off with a double down the line, followed by a hit by pitch and Dylan Judd '22 RBI-single and the Cards trimmed the lead to two. With the bases loaded and two down, Cole Torino '24 worked a walk and the score moved to 4-3. Then came the big hit of the inning, with Luke LaSaracina '25 inside-outing a single to the right side that found the hole, scoring two and Wes held a 5-4 advantage
• Amherst was quick to tie it in the top of the 7^th, but Wesleyan came right back with a few runs of their own in the bottom half to hold their lead. After a single, Little worked his way around the bases on a stolen base, error, and wild pitch to go up 6-5. A fielder's choice scored Judd later in the inning and Wesleyan was back up two runs, 7-5
• Sylvester added an insurance run with a double to left center and the Cardinals held onto a 8-5 lead going into the final frame. Amherst wouldn't go down easy, putting together three straight singles to open the 9^th that put the tying run at the plate with no outs. Alex Deutsch '25 came in for the Cards and immediately put together three straight outs to complete the save and give Wesleyan their 11^th win of the season

 
NOTES:

• Murphy (6 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's) picked up the win for the Cards going six strong. Deutsch (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K) came in relief in the 9^th, picking up his first save of his career by retiring the first three batter he faced
• Three Cardinals finished with two hits. Sylvester (2-for-5, 1 R, RBI), Judd (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), and Torino (2-for-3, R, RBI) all completed the feat, with Sylvester putting together his team-leading 31^st and 32^nd hits
• LaSaracina (1-for-4, 2 RBI) only had one hit on the day, but it was a big one, driving in two to take the lead in the 6^th
• Amherst outhit the Cardinals 15-10, with both teams leaving nine runners on

 
UP NEXT:
Wesleyan finished their three-game series against the Mammoths tomorrow, in a double-header up in Amherst, Massachusetts starting at 1 and 4 pm with first place in the NESCAC West on the line.