Box
Score
MIDDLETON, CT -- The Williams College baseball team won
their twelfth straight game, beating NESCAC West rival Wesleyan
14-9 in a rescheduled game. The win left the Ephs with a
division-best 10-2 record in NESCAC regular season play. The
Ephs combined for 11 runs in the sixth and seventh innings and
Freshman Jimmy Ray was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the
bottom of the ninth to preserve the victory. Senior
designated hitter Robin Allemand led the way offensively for the
Ephs, belting two home runs and recording 6 RBI.
Both starting pitchers played well, as the game was tied at one
going into the bottom of the fifth inning. Wesleyan inflicted
the first real damage of the game, scoring four runs on five hits
in the inning. Three of the runs came with two outs.
The big hit of the inning was a two-run triple by right
fielder Brice Kelly. Kelly was the last batter starter Eddie
Nadel '12 faced. Nadel finished with five earned runs on
seven hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in four and two thirds
innings of work. Reliever Matt Berdoff managed to get out of
the jam but not before Kelly came home to make it 5-1 Cardinals.
Williams woke up in the top of the sixth, however, to reclaim
the lead. After a leadoff groundout, shortstop Cameron
Susk '12 singled to right field. First baseman KC Murphy who
has become a dangerous member of the Eph lineup in recent games,
doubled down the left field line to bring Susk to third.
After a Taylor Mondshein '13 walk, center fielder Stephen
Maier '12 doubled down the left field line to clear the bases.
Maier advanced to third on a passed ball and James Allison
'11 was hit by pitch to put runners on the corners. Left
fielder Al Mathews '10 then singled through the right side to bring
Maier across. After a pop out, Allemand kept the inning alive
when he reached on a throwing error, which brought both Mathews and
Allison home. Catcher Chad Brown '10 walked before Susk hit
his second single of the inning to score Allemand.
Williams added some insurance runs in the seventh, scoring four
more runs on four hits. Mathews hit a two-out double to score
Mondshein who had led off the inning with a base hit. After
Pat Barren '11 reached on a walk, Allemand hit his first homer of
the game over the center field wall.
Up 12-8 in the top of the ninth, Allemand hit an inside the park
home run to score Barren who had reached on a single earlier in the
inning. The home run was Allemand's third in two games and
team-leading fourth on the season.
With two men on and nobody out in the eighth, Head Coach Bill
Barrale turned to freshman closer Jimmy Ray. Ray induced a
double play and eventually ended the inning with a strikeout to
escape the jam.
After allowing two hits, a walk, and hitting a batter with one
out in the bottom of the ninth, Ray buckled down to pick up the
save. Ray struck out third baseman Noah Feingold and ended
the game by inducing a pop-up to short.
Barrale was happy with the win: "It was definitely a
strange baseball game. There were a lot of lead changes and
we had two good answers. Maier, Allemand, Mathews all had
clutch hits. The pitching was good enough to get the job
done. On the road, it was nice to come out with the win."
Though there is little talk of the current win streak in the
dugout, Barrale acknowledged the turnaround: "I thought earlier
that we were close to really playing well as a team. We're a
good team. We've got good hitting, good pitching, and good
leadership and we expect to play well every game. We've been
fortunate to string together a few wins here."
The win is the Ephs fourteenth in their last fifteen games.
Williams looks to end the season on a high note as they play
their home finale tomorrow afternoon at Bobby Coombs Field against
Westfield St.
