MIDDLETOWN, CT. - Marking the start of the second Little Three series of the season, the Wesleyan University baseball team played host to Williams College on Friday evening, toppling Williams 13-5 after a seven-run fifth inning sent the Cardinals cruising to a NESCAC victory from Dresser Diamond.
Stellar defensive outings on the mound by Cardinals' (9-14 overall, 5-3 NESCAC West) pitchers
Cole Perkin '28 and
Tanner Mahon '26 kept the Ephs (6-13 overall, 1-3 NESCAC West) at bay following an early scoring lead that bloomed in the second inning. The Cardinals managed runners on base but did not score until the bottom of the fourth, cutting the Ephs' three-run lead.
William Moore '26, having taken a hit from Ephs pitcher Lucas Brandt, scored the opening run for the Cardinals as
Jonah Timmons '27 singled to left field. With Timmons now on base,
Sam Hensinger '26 led the charge to steal third and second base before plating his own run on the catcher's error.
Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning,
Jake Acker '27 put a ball down the middle and advanced to second with
Tucker DeWolf '28 batting through the left side.
Matthew DeBenedictis '29 loaded the bases with a hit to the pitcher, but it was Moore's RBI single to right field that led to Acker's game-tying run at three and DeWolf's tally to gain the first and final lead.
James Marsden '26 batted an RBI double to send DeBenedictis home and scored with Moore on
Oliver Kwan's '28 own RBI double.
Walked on his next at bat, Timmons stole second behind Kwan's steal at third, both scoring with help from
Kato Mangum '28 to bring the game to a six-run lead. The Ephs answered and scored two runs in the sixth.
The Cardinals followed the fifth-inning performance landing Timmons back at the plate on a wild pitch. Mangum rallied a run with his own wild pitch having walked to reach base. DeBenedictis nailed a double down the right field line, giving way to DeWolf's run at 12 before scoring run 13 on Marsden's sacrificed fly.
Perkin earns the win for the Cardinals, pitching just over five innings as he struck out five batters, allowing five runs. Mahon, earning the save, did not drop a single run through three innings and struck out one Eph.
The Cardinals face the Ephs again on Saturday, April 11, in a NESCAC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in Williamstown, MA.