PHOENIX, AZ — Senior Taylor Mikell and first-year Cameron
Susk had three hits each Friday to lead the Williams College
baseball team to an 11-6 NESCAC West Division victory over rival
Middlebury.
The win was the fourth straight for the Ephs, who improved to
4-5 overall, 1-0 in conference play. The two teams meet again
Saturday in Phoenix for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. MST.
Senior co-captain Dan Benz limited the Panthers to two earned
runs over 6 1/3 innings and picked up his first victory of the 2009
season. Junior Tom Coleman came on and hurled 2 2/3 innings of
scoreless baseball to seal the win.
Middlebury scored twice in the top of the first to take a 2-0
lead, but the Ephs responded with three runs in their half of the
inning. Stephen Maier led off and reached by an error. Robin
Allemand singled and Al Mathews drew a walk to load the bases.
After an out, Chad Brown lofted a sacrifice fly to center field.
With two outs, Susk and Mikell delivered key RBI-singles to give
Williams a 3-2 lead it would never relinquish.
The Ephs led 5-2 entering the bottom of the fifth and put the
game out of reach with a three-run frame. With one out, Susk and
Mikell singled, and Jim Entwisle then dropped a bunt single to load
the bases. Jamaal Johnson's grounder to short resulted in a two-run
error. Johnson then stole second, and when the ball skipped by the
second baseman, Entwisle raced home with the eighth run of the day.
Benz and Coleman did the rest. The Ephs starters allowed seven
hits and three walks while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings.
Only two of the six runs he was charged with were earned. Coleman
allowed only two hits and one walk while closing out the contest.
He struck out one.
Mikell finished 3 for 4 with an RBI. Susk was 3 for 5 with an
RBI. Brown was 2 for 4 with two RBI. Mathews was 2 for 3 with two
RBI. Maier had an RBI-double in the seventh.
