WEST HARTFORD, CT. – All it took was 14 runs through the middle stretch of the game for the Wesleyan baseball team to fend off the University of Hartford on Tuesday evening, landing a 16-15 victory in the regular season finale after Hartford ran for 10 in a row to close the game from Hartford's Fiondella Field.
While the Cardinals collected three home runs, it was
Jonah Timmons '27 that captained the team with four runs of his own, including the first of the three homers. Timmons, who holds the second-most home runs on the team with four, hit a bomb in the third inning to tie the game at two after the Hawks jumped to an early lead in the first. Timmons ran Will Moore '26 home after Moore singled out left to reach base.
Despite another jump by the Hawks to a three-run lead, the Cardinals would not allow it to last much longer.
Luke LaSaracina '25 opened the top of the fifth with his own home run, leading the charge for what would be six runs.
James Marsden '26 and
Sebastian Ortiz '28 bit singles down each base line, advancing on a ground out.
Jake Acker '27 settled in at first after taking the hit from Justin Gouin. Timmons racked up his second double RBI, putting a ball up the middle to give way for Marsden and Ortiz.
Connor Sullivan '26 followed the tally with a double to second base, both Timmons and Acker scored. Sullivan would be the final run of the inning, plating a run on a single by
Evan Diaz '25.
Taking their gains to another level, the Cardinals plated five additional runs in the sixth inning, loading the bases with a left field hit by Moore and another hit by pitch for Acker while Timmons was walked. Diaz was walked, forcing Moore to home plate for the ninth run of the game, but it was Marsden with the grand slam that sent Acker, Timmons, and Diaz down the field to take an eight-run lead.
Troy Ashkinos '28 opened the seventh, nailing a triple out into right center field prior to Moore and Acker filing in to load the diamond once again. A fielder's choice was enough room for Ashkinos to score on Timmons' turn at the plate. Moore's third run of the evening resulted on a sacrificed fly into left field. Timmons' final and fourth run came thanks to LaSaracina putting a pitch out into center.
Even with the 16 tallied runs, the Hawks still had reserved energy to spare, mounting their comeback with 10 unanswered runs to close out the final three innings. The Hawks scored three in in the final plays of the game pulling within one run but could not salvage enough to tie the game.
Dariusz Lukowski '27 earns the win from the mound for the Cardinals, marking his first victory of the season, pitching just over three innings. Lukowski struck out three batters while allowing just two earned runs.
The Cardinals finish the regular season with an 11-22 overall record, running 2-10 in the NESCAC. Finishing fourth in the NESCAC West, the Cardinals will face Colby, the top seed in the NESCAC East, in the NESCAC quarterfinal round on Saturday, May 3, at 12 p.m. in a best-of-three series.
