Ephs Win in Ninth Inning Versus University of Hartford To Close Regular Season

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — In a back-and-forth battle, the Williams College baseball team stormed back from an early four-run deficit and walked off the University of Hartford, 7–6. The Ephs have now won five games in a row.

Hartford jumped on the board early, scoring twice at the top of the first. After J.J. Romatzick led off with a single and eventually came around on Alek Popovich's RBI single, Jeremy Mangiamel plated Popovich with a ground out. The Hawks extended their lead to 3–0 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Knight, and made it 4–0 in the fifth when Mangiamel legged out an infield single that also led to a throwing error.

The Ephs clawed back in the bottom half of the fifth. Ryan Nakajima got things started with a single and proceeded to steal second. The next batter Henry Juan put the Ephs on the scoreboard smashing a single that sent Nakajima home. Juan scored on the very next play off an RBI single by James O'Connor.

In the sixth, first year, Nate Rosner built momentum, leading off with a single, and then stealing second before taking advantage of an error by the catcher to get to third. Dave Mosrie followed, working a walk and stealing second base. This set the stage for Nakajima to take over the game, smashing a two-run triple to right-center that scored Rosner and Mosrie, tying the game 4–4. Juan followed once more notching his second RBI of the game to give Williams its first lead, 5-4.

Anthony Lods led off the seventh with a single, advanced to third on an error by Hartford's pitcher. Rosner, looking to give the Ephs a bigger lead, smoked a double down the right field line to send Lods home and put the Ephs ahead 6-4.

Hartford responded in the eighth, capitalizing on an error and stringing together a pair of RBI at-bats: Knight's second sacrifice fly of the game brought in one, and Peyton West's infield single tied the game at 6–6.

In the bottom of the ninth, Owen McHugh got things started with a single and took advantage of a wild pitch to get on second. Fearing McHugh's overwhelming speed, the pitcher committed a balk, moving McHugh ito third base. With the game on the line, junior Sasha Palma made a spectacular baseball play, dropping a perfectly placed bunt toward first base aong the baseline. McHugh broke for home on contact and slid in safely as Palma beat the throw to first, sealing a walk-off win for the Ephs.

On the mound, Max Hart gave Williams five innings in the start, striking out two. JH Vaughan and Jacob Martin combined for two scoreless innings, and James Murray earned the win with a shutout ninth inning, which included two strikeouts.

This was the Ephs' last regular-season game. They finish the regular season 18-13, winning their last 5 games.

The Ephs earned the third spot in the NESCAC West Division and will go on the road this Saturday to take on Bowdoin in the NESCAC quarterfinals. The first game will begin at noon in Brunswick, Maine.