TUCSON, AZ. – Facing off in the final doubleheader of the annual Spring Break trip, the Wesleyan baseball team posted a split on Friday afternoon, falling to Macalester College 7-0 before putting up 14 runs over Hamline University in a 14-6 final from the Kino Sports Complex.
Game one of the afternoon was a low-scoring affair across the board, the Cardinals only able to tally up five hits through nine innings while getting shut out.
The first run for the Scots came at the bottom of the third inning as Stephen Paulson scored on a sacrifice fly to right field from Tristan Jones. Nathan Gumagay gave the Scots a two-run lead, Paulson hitting a single to secure the run. A double by Niko Alexander pushed the lead to four as Jones and Raymond McCaskey scored. Alexander would score on the next at bat and followed with a homer in the seventh with Josh Planko hitting the plate ahead of him.
Reaching three runners to base in the fourth, the Cardinals' most successful inning of the game started with
Evan Diaz '25 being walked on the second at bat of the inning. While Diaz was ruled out trying to steal second, Timmons singled as the next base runner. Timmons advanced as
Jake Acker '27 reached on a third baseman error, but the Cardinals hit their third out.
David Tirrell '25 pitched seven innings before he was relieved by
Lucca Frattone '27. Tirrell struck out seven, allowing seven runs.
Despite the game one loss, the Cardinals bats were warming up, reaching double digits in game two. It was the seventh game of the trip to reach 10 or more runs. Led by
Luke LaSaracina '25 and
James Marsden '26 with three runs, the Cardinals were up in the first with Diaz scoring run one. Bunting a single to the pitcher as the second batter in the lineup, Diaz scored with Timmons sending a ball to the center fielder. Managing a single to right field, Timmons reached home on
William Moore's '26 first at bat.
The Pipers tied the game in the second half of the inning, but the Cardinals gained another two run lead in the second. LaSaracina hit one to center field, advancing to third with Marsden nailing a double out right. Both scored on the next hit,
Ernie Little earning the double RBI with a double to left center.
Managing another run in the third, the Pipers were not prepared for a seven-run fifth inning from the Cardinals. Timmons kickstarted the base running with a ball to center, stealing second before
Jack Carpenter '25 was walked. Timmons pushed on a sacrificed bunt and scored as
Troy Ashkinos '28 gave enough of a distraction to send him home. Acker would get the double RBI on the next hit, doubling to left field to send Carpenter and Ashkinos to the plate. Acker's run reached on a LaSaracina single. Marsden was walked before Little earned his third RBI of the game on LaSaracina's run. Marsden was run 10, Diaz hitting to left field. The final run went to Little, taking home on a catcher's error.
Marsden and LaSaracina would score together once more at the top of the final inning, LaSarcina being walked prior to Marsden's ball to first base. Little tripled to right center, notching another double RBI to send the pair home. Little scored the final run of the day for the Cardinals. The Pipers posted three more runs to close out the game.
Little finished the game with two runs and five RBI, securing a double and triple on four hits while earning two assists. Timmons was the fourth Cardinal to record multiple runs with two.
Earning the win with five innings pitched,
Tanner Mahon '27 struck out two while allowing three runs and seven hits, putting away a 5.40 ERA.
Kevin Brown '28 struck out five through three innings, seeing three runs.
The Cardinals return home to Middletown, playing host to Nichols on Wednesday, March 26, beginning at 4 p.m.
