Baseball Defeats Williams in Game Two of Sunday Doubleheader, Securing Little 3 Title

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Wesleyan baseball team split Sunday’s doubleheader against NESCAC foe Williams, resulting in them taking the series victory and driving home with the Little 3 Title secured. Wesleyan defeated Amherst earlier this year in 2-of-3 meetings, before taking 2-of-3 against Williams to earn the title of Little 3 Champion for the first time since 2016. After defeating the Ephs Friday by a score of 11-3, Wesleyan attempted to keep that momentum going into Sunday’s doubleheader. In the first game, Wesleyan found themselves in the same situation as Friday afternoon, trailing by three runs in the 1^st inning. Wesleyan slowly crawled their way back into the game, scoring two runs over the final two innings but it was not enough to complete the comeback as they fell to the Ephs 5-4. In the second game, it was Williams again who took the first inning lead at 2-1. The game would get tied back up the 3^rd, before Wesleyan drove in the deciding run in the 6^th to win 4-3 crowning them Little 3 champions. Wesleyan moves to 12-9 (4-2 NESCAC) while Williams is now 6-10 (1-2 NESCAC)

HIGHLIGHTS (GAME 1, 5-4 LOSS)

• After Wesleyan went down in order to begin the game, Williams got on the board in the 1^st. The Ephs scored three runs on three hits, but it could have been worse as Williams stranded two runners on to end the first inning of play
• Wesleyan responded in the 3^rd inning, as Dylan Judd ’22 led off with a solo blast to right field that instantly cut the Williams lead to two. The Cardinals added another run in the 3^rd, when Matt Halas ’24 came around on an RBI groundout by Adam Geibel ’22 cutting the deficit to just one
• Williams added a few much-needed insurance runs in the bottom of the 4^th to improve their lead back up to three runs. Two two-out singles drove in the two runs for the Ephs, extending their lead once again
• Wesleyan crawled back into the game over the next few innings to make things interesting in the 7^th. After scoring a run in the 6^th to cut the deficit to just two, the Cardinals put real pressure on the Ephs in the 7^th. A two-out rally that was made up of two hits and a walk had the Cards within one with runners on 2^nd and 3^rd. The next batter was Jack Nally ’24, who got called out on batter’s interference ending the game at 5-4

NOTES:

• Williams outhit Wesleyan 7-4
• Adam Geibel (1-for-4, 2 RBI) had his 5^th straight game with an RBI
• Dylan Judd hit his team-leading 3^rd home run of the season

HIGHLIGHTS (GAME 2, 4-3 WIN)

• Wesleyan found themselves trailing again after one inning of play. Ricky Finkel ’23 gave the Cards an early lead with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Matt Halas who led the game off with a walk. Williams came back in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. Ryan Young hit a home run to tie it up, and was followed by two more hits that gave the Ephs a 2-1 first inning advantage
• Halas crossed home again in the third to tie the game at two. He was driven in by Wes Fritch ’22, who was able to single through the left side. Wesleyan added another run to take the lead back on a Finkel single to left field that drove in Fritch
• Williams had an answer again in the bottom half of the inning, scoring one run on one hit and an error to even the score once again going into the middle innings
• The Cardinals were able to push the deciding run across in the 6^th inning. After two singles to open up the top half, Dylan Judd delivered with another big at-bat. Judd ripped a pitch to center field that was deep enough to drive in Ryan Molinari ’22 who had singled to open up the inning. The Cards couldn’t push another run across, but that run was all they needed to get the win and the Little 3 crown

NOTES:

• Wesleyan wins the Little 3 title for the 29th time in program history and first since 2016
• Both teams had seven hits apiece
• Ryan Molinari (3-for-4, 1 run) had his first 3-hit game of his career
• Ricky Finkel (1-for-3, 2 RBI) had his 5^th multi-RBI game of the season

UP NEXT
Wesleyan will return to the diamond Tuesday April 12^th where they will face-off at home against Trinity.