North Adams, MA- The Williams College Baseball team defeated MCLA i16-8 this evening
Williams got off to an explosive start right from the jump. The scoring began with Mike Giove's double to right center that drove in Brendan Stannard and Owen McHugh. Ryan Nakajima followed up with another double to right center, bringing Giove across the plate before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Anthony Lods added a sacrifice fly that sent Nakajima home, tallying a five-run inning.
MCLA responded in the bottom of the first but only managed two runs. Matthew Castillo grounded out to second, allowing Jacob Morren to score, and Matthew Belfance followed with a single that drove in TJ Platt.
Theg ame's intensity increased in the third inning when MCLA added two more runs. Dariel Rodriguez's single to right center scored Platt, and Bobby Lane's single drove in Belfance. However, MCLA's momentum was short-lived as Belfance was caught stealing in the fourth inning after T. Platt scored, bringing their total to five runs by the end of the fourth.
Williams continued to extend their lead in the fifth inning. Sasha Palma grounded out but not without scoring Nakajima, who had advanced to third. The score after the fifth inning stood at 6-5 in favor of Williams.
The seventh inning saw Williams add to their lead after Sasha Palma reached first on a fielding error and advanced to second, Stannard hit a double to left center that allowed Palma to score,
In the eighth, Williams delivered a stunning offensive showcase, pushing across five crucial runs to solidify their lead. The inning began with Nakajima, who lined a single into center field, knocking in Giove for the inning's first run. The momentum continued to build as McHugh was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced, forcing in Nakajima and keeping the bases loaded for further action. Continuing the onslaught, Henry Juan laced a double down the right-field line, driving in two more runs as Lods and Palma crossed the plate, with McHugh advancing to third. The inning's scoring culminated in a sacrifice fly from Stannard, who flew out to right center, allowing McHugh to tag and score, capping off a five-run burst that expanded Williams's lead significantly.
The ninth inning sealed the deal for Williams, with Nakajima homering to right field, followed by Palma and Juan with back-to-back doubles, adding three more runs. Stannard then singled to bring in Juan, finalizing a robust lead.
Jake Jeffries, a first-year for the Ephs, took the win today after pitching 6 innings. He finished the game with 2 K's and allowed 3 earned runs. Eph head coach Bill Barrale, talked about Jeffries's performance tonight, saying, "He came into the game and pitched great until the end. He saved our bullpen for tomorrow which gives us a huge advantage heading into tomorrow's game."
MCLA made a last effort to close the gap in the bottom of the ninth but only came away with 2 runs. The ball game ended with a final score of 16-8. Williams will host RPI at 4 PM tomorrow, as they look to continue their winning streak.
