MIDDLETOWN, CT. – The Wesleyan baseball team took game two of their double-header against Hamilton to claim their first NESCAC West Division Title since 2016. After some rain showers passed, the first game got underway with the Cardinals only needing one win to claim home field advantage in the opening round of the NESCAC Tournament. Hamilton's pitching got the job done in game one, holding the Cards without a run through seven innings to take the 5-0 victory. In game two the Cardinals' bats got going, driving in the first five runs of the ballgame on way to a 5-2 win that clinched not only home field advantage, but a NESCAC West Division Title.

Wesleyan is now 15-16 (7-5 NESCAC) heading into the final two games of the regular season, while Hamilton falls to 18-13 (6-6 NESCAC). The Cardinals claim the #1 seed in the West Division, setting up a first round matchup with the #4 seed in the East Division, the Bowdoin Polar Bears.
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS (5-0 LOSS)

• After David Tirrell '25 put the Continentals down in order to open the game, Wesleyan's offense threatened in the bottom half. Ernie Little '26, James Marsden '26 and Dylan Judd '22 all singled in the inning, but the Cards ended up stranding the bases loaded and the game remained deadlocked at zero after one inning of play
• Hamilton found their offense in the 2^nd, scoring two runs on four hits to take an early lead. Both pitchers settled in over the next three innings, holding the opposing offense without a run. Tirrell held Hamilton to just two hits over that time, including 1-2-3 innings in the 3^rd and 5^th
• The Continentals were able to string a pair of hits together in the 6^th to push an insurance run across. They held onto that momentum in the 7^th, with Taylor Kaufman sending a ball over the left field fence to give them a 5-0 lead. Wesleyan had one more chance in the bottom of the 7^th, but went down in order to fall in game one, 5-0

NOTES:

• Tirrell (6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 K's) gave the Cards a quality start
• Little (2-for-4) and Evan Diaz '25 (2-for-3, 3B) were the two Cardinals with multiple hits. Diaz records his 3^rd triple of the season
• Hits were even at nine apiece

 
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS (5-2 WIN)

• AJ Karabenick '24 was impressive from the start on the mound, only allowing a single hit in the opening three innings. Hamilton's Jackson Sattinger matched him through two innings of play and the score remained 0-0. Wesleyan found their offense in the 3^rd, putting together one run on a hit and a Hamilton fielding error to get on the board first
• After getting out of trouble in the top half of the 4^th, the Cardinals went back to work on the offensive end in the bottom half. Five hits, including a 3-run blast from Jack Nally '24 led to Wesleyan adding to their lead at 4-0
• Nally played a big role in Wesleyan adding another insurance run in the 7^th as well. The junior outfielder walked to open the inning before stealing second and third. The throw to attempt to throw him out ended up in left field and he was able to cross home for Wesleyans 5^th and final run of the game. Hamilton wouldn't go down easy, as they managed to load the bases to start the 9^th, but Joey Light-Rake '25 finished it off and picked up the save

 
NOTES:

• Karabenick (6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K's) pitched six scoreless innings, finishing with a career-high 11 strikeouts
• Little (2-for-4, R) records two hits in both contests. Luke LaSaracina '25 (2-for-4) and Cole Torino '24 (2-for-4) join him with multiple hits in the game
• Nally (1-for-2, HR, 2 R, 3 RBIs, 2 BB) posts his 2^nd home run of the season
• Wesleyan outhits Hamilton 10-5

 
UP NEXT:
The Cardinals will compete in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament starting Saturday May 6^th at 12 and 3:30 pm. If game three is needed, it will take place on Sunday May 7^th at 12 pm.