Box
Score Game 1
Box
Score Game 2
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA -- Freshman Jimmy Ray struck out pinch hitter
David Skura with two out in the ninth and the tying run on first
base. The strike out secured an 8-6 victory for the Ephs,
which brought the NESCAC West and Little Three titles to
Williamstown and gave the Ephs an automatic berth in the
postseason. The Ephs won 11-4 in game one behind a dominating
performance by starting pitcher Paul Burgdorf '10 who threw a
complete game.
Game 1:
Wesleyan started the day hot, putting four runs on the board in
the first inning. The Cardinals led off with a walk and a
single. Center fielder Kyle Weiss scored on a fielder's
choice to make it 1-0. A two-out single scored another run,
before Joe Giamio doubled to score another run and came home on a
pair of throwing errors.
Those four runs would be all the Cardinals would get.
Burgdorf settled in and pitched an almost perfect next six
innings. Wesleyan would get only two base runners the rest of
the way, getting a single in the third and a walk in the seventh.
Burgdorf took the win allowing three earned runs on four
hits, giving up two walks and striking out five. Coach Bill
Barrale was happy with Burgdorf's effort: "He settled in nicely
after a rough first. He was doing a good job of getting them
to put the ball in play and allowing out defense to make the play."
The Williams offense broke the game wide open in the middle
innings, scoring a combined ten runs in the third, fourth, and
fifth innings. The Ephs started the fourth when
James Allison '11 reached on an error, and he scored on an Al
Mathews triple to center field. Pat Barren '11 then singled
to center field to score Mathews. Williams continued to hit
the ball well when Robin Allemand '10 tripled to center field to
score Barren. Chad Brown '10 then singled to right field to
bring Allemand around and give the Ephs their first lead of the
game.
The Ephs continued to produce when they led off the fifth with
four straight singles. Andrew Bishop '13, Taylor Mondshein
'13, Stephen Maier '12, and Allison all recorded hits, putting a
pair of runs on the board and closing the Cardinals lead to one.
A passed ball advanced Maier and Allison into scoring
position. Al Mathews '10 hit a deep sacrifice fly to score
Maier and advance Allison who came home on an error.
Williams stayed hot in the fifth. Cameron Susk '12 led off
with a triple and scored on a single by Bishop. After a
single by Mondshein, Mathews singled to score Bishop and increase
the Eph lead to 11-4.
Brett Yarusi took the loss for Wesleyan, lasting four innings
and giving up six earned runs on 11 hits while striking out four
and walking none.
Williams was led by Bishop, Mathews, and Allison who each
recorded a pair of hits. Mathews, Mondshien, and Bishop each
had 3 RBI on the day.
Game 2:
Needing only a victory to clinch the postseason, the Ephs played
like a team on a mission in game 2 of the afternoon doubleheader.
Harry Marino '12 got the start for the Ephs and pitched well.
Marino allowed only two earned runs on five hits over five
and a third innings while striking out four and walking three.
It was a pitcher's duel early as neither team could manage much
offense in the first three innings. Williams, however, began
to heat up in the fourth. Allison led off with a double to
right field. Mathews followed him with a single to left to score
Allison. After a Barren strikeout, Allemand kept the momentum
going when he reached on an error. Brown then reached on a
fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with two outs.
A wild pitch scored Mathews and advanced Brown into scoring
position. Susk then singled up the middle to bring Brown
around.
The Ephs added two more runs in the fifth off of an RBI triple
by Allison and an RBI single by Mathews. Williams appeared to
be in cruise control, but the Cardinals came roaring back in the
sixth. A pair of errors and three hits allowed four runs to
score and tied the game at 5-5.
A pair of Wesleyan singles to lead off the seventh put runners
at the corners with nobody out. A fielder's choice allowed
Derek Dettorre to score and give Wesleyan a 6-5 lead.
Using some of their late game heroics, which have become a
trademark of the Ephs this season, Williams battled back for three
runs in the eight to retake the lead. After a walk by
Mathews, Barren recorded his first hit of the game when he crushed
a triple off the wall to tie the game. After a groundout,
Chad Brown battled the count before hitting a clutch double down
the left field line to give the Ephs the lead: "It was a great at
bat. He's a senior whose hit consistently his whole career
and it was great to see him come through like that." Brown
advanced to third and eventually scored on a pair of passed balls.
With a runner in scoring position and only one out in the eight,
Coach Bill Barrale turned to Ray to close out the game. Ray
was dominant, striking out the first batter he faced, intentionally
walking the second, and striking out the third to get out of the
jam. Ray was equally impressive in the ninth, striking out a
pair of Cardinals to secure the victory. Coach Barrale was
pleased with the performance of his young ace: "He's been great.
It's his third time in a row coming in late in games.
It's great to see his poise and control on the mound."
Overall, Barrale was happy with the Ephs' play: "It was
great to win the west division and the little three. It all
comes to down to pitching and defense and we played well in both
areas today. We also had a lot of two-strike hits, which is
something we've been talking about a lot recently." Barrale
also noted the knack the Ephs have for comeback victories:
"Whenever we're down we feel like we have the hitters to come back
and put runs on the board when we have to."
Offensively the Ephs were led by Allison, Mathews, and Barren
who each had a pair of hits.
Williams and Wesleyan meet tomorrow in Connecticut to conclude
their three game set.
