MIDDLETOWN, CT. – With
Malcolm Hsu '25 on the mound for the warmest mid-week matchup of the season, the Wesleyan baseball stacked the hits with hot bats, posting 11 unanswered runs through four innings to topple Western Connecticut State University 17-3 on Wednesday evening from Dresser Diamond.
Following a scoreless first inning that saw just one base runner, the Cardinals (10-19 overall) were anxious to get the scoring rolling and jumped to a two-run lead over the Wolves (8-20 overall) in the bottom of the second. After an error placed
Jonah Timmons '27 on third base,
Connor Sullivan '26 drove a double to left field and Timmons touched base for the opening run. Sullivan rounded third as
Evan Diaz '25 put a ball in center field, scoring on the play.
Ernie Little '26 reached on a third base error, redeeming his pickoff in the first inning as he advanced to second by way of
Jack Carpenter's '25 single to left field.
Tyler Cosgrove's '25 next at bat made room for Little to score on the single hit.
The Wolves managed a run in the fourth, but the Cardinals were quick to run their lead, and the bottom of the inning began with
Luke LaSaracina '25 reaching on an error by the short stop. The Wolves would not score again until the final inning. Five pickoff attempts did little to hold LaSaracina back, advancing as
Jake Acker '26 walked. Carpenter loaded the bases just in time for Cosgrove to bat in both LaSaracina and Acker to home plate on a single out over the head of the left fielder. Carpenter advanced and scored after Sullivan was hit by Braden Barron.
Earning a walk in the fifth,
James Marsden '26 became the front runner for another four runs after stealing second. Acker reached after another hit by pitch from Barron, but it was Little that gave way for Marsden's run, singling out into left field. Nailing a triple to the right field, Carpenter put away runs from Little and Acker, both with their second of the evening. Cosgrove sent Carpenter home on a fly out right.
Diaz began the sixth with a triple out into right field, scoring on the next at bat as LaSaracina put a pitch into left field to reach second base. LaSaracina plated another run, Marsden singling to the right. Marsden's run reached the scoreboard thanks to Little's drive to left field. Little and Acker progressed on the same passed ball, both scoring on the hit to the short stop by Cosgrove for their third and final runs.
After a scoreless seventh inning,
Marcus Jang '25 entered the batting rotation for the Cardinals and reached with a center field single.
Nick Dargel '28 walked, advancing along with Jang on another passed ball.
Troy Ashkinos '28 placed Jang at home after a flied-out ball to the right fielder. Dargel scored his first run as a Cardinal with
Sam Hensinger '26 returning a pitch to center. The Wolves closed the game with two runs and took the loss.
While never scoring himself, Cosgrove quietly batted six runners in, leading the offensive drive for the Cardinals. On top of his three runs, Little also earned two RBI on three hits.
Hsu earns the win, pitching five innings as he allowed just one earned run while striking out two.
Dariusz Lukowski '27 pitched three no-hit innings in relief of Hsu, marking one strikeout before
Lucca Frattone '27 entered as the closer, allowing two runs.
The Cardinals return to action on Friday, April 25, traveling to Williams for game one of the weekend series with action beginning at 4 p.m.
