MIDDLETOWN, CT. – Facing a divisional sweep on Saturday afternoon, the Wesleyan University baseball team fell in NESCAC action to Middlebury College in a doubleheader loss that saw an 8-0 shutout in game one and a 7-3 loss in game two at Dresser Diamond as Wesleyan celebrated the Class of 2026.

Paying tribute to the six-man senior class, the Cardinals celebrated James Marsden, Marcus Jang, Braeden Falzarano, Sam Hensinger, William Moore, and Ned Shapiro for all their contributions to the baseball program prior to the start of the conference matchup.

The Panthers quickly climbed to a two-run lead in the opening inning, answering with two more runs in the second as the Cardinals were hindered by several errors. Chase Zidlicky pitched five no-hit innings before the Cardinals registered contact to right field in the fifth inning with a six-run Panthers lead. Hensinger doubled, advancing Jake Acker to third but both were left one base. Middlebury's final runs fell in the seventh.

Shamus Kelly '28 pitched over three innings, striking out four batters as he allowed six runs and eight hits. Conor Humowiecki '29 dropped two runs and four hits in relief, striking out three.

Game two began with the Panthers returning a run in the first inning, jumping to a three-run lead as the bottom of the fourth inning rolled through. Kato Mangum '28 singled to center field, reaching second with help from a wild pitch. Having stole third base, Mangum scored due to an error to place the Cardinals on the board.

Facing a 5-1 deficit in the seventh, the Cardinals gained momentum as Matthew DeBenedictis '29 nailed a single to the short stop and placed Hudson Green '28 on base as the pinch runner. Jonah Timmons '27 advanced the play as he took a hit from Stefano Yozzo, but it was Hensinger's ball to right field that kept Green in contention at third. Green scored with Jake Acker '27 on the plate. With bases loaded in the eighth inning, Marsden's hit to Dylan Knightly gave time to Oliver Kwan's '28 run to close out the game.

Oliver Dmochowski '27 takes the loss, pitching three strikeouts as he allowed four runs and five hits. Shapiro struck out four, dropping one run. Brady Wilson '29 cleared two outs, dropping two runs.

The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday, April 21, when they host Albertus Magnus at 3 p.m.