BRUNSWICK, Maine — The Williams College Ephs opened their NESCAC Championship weekend with a statement, using timely hitting, relentless pressure, and a composed start from
Lucas Brandt to power past Colby 13–4 on Friday afternoon.
Colby got on the board early. After a leadoff walk and a stolen base in the first, Teddy Silva punched a two-out RBI single to center, putting the Mules up 1–0. An inning later, Colby extended its lead to 2–0 on a sacrifice fly from Michael Gythfeldt, taking advantage of a Williams error that allowed Eli Hillenber to reach and eventually score.
But the Ephs responded emphatically in the top of the fourth. With one on and one out, James O'Connor launched a two-run homer over the left field fence to tie the game. From there, Williams poured it on. Singles by Will Scott, Ryan Nakajima, and Luca Lopetrone loaded the bases, and Sasha Palma delivered the breakthrough, a bases-clearing double down the right field line that gave the Ephs a 5–2 lead.
In the sixth, the Ephs added another when Palma singled to left and advanced on a Colby error, scoring Nakajima, who had doubled earlier in the inning. That made it 6–2, but Colby clawed back in the bottom half. A triple from Carson Aubuchon, followed by Hillenber's RBI double and a run-scoring single from Patrick Shrake, brought the Mules within two at 6–4.
Williams, however, broke it open again in the seventh. Henry Juan led off with a double and scored on Scott's RBI single, which became a two-base play after a Colby throwing error. Scott then came home on a passed ball, and Nakajima added another RBI with a sharp single up the middle, stretching the Eph lead to 9–4.
The Ephs tacked on four more unx in the eighth. After walks to Oliver Rey, Ben Swank, and Marcus Burrell II, Juan lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 10–4. O'Connor followed with an RBI single to score Swank, and Nakajima capped his perfect night at the plate with a two-run single up the middle, bringing in Burrell and O'Connor to make it 13–4.
On the mound, Lucas Brandt set the tone. The first-year right hander stepped up in one of the year's biggest games and tossed seven innings, allowing just three earned runs on eight hits. He walked three, struck out three, and calmly navigated traffic while throwing 86 pitches. Brandt's outing was marked by control and soft contact, inducing 11 fly outs and six ground outs to earn his second win of the season.
JH Vaughan closed the door with two clean innings of relief, allowing three hits and no runs.
Offensively, Ryan Nakajima led the charge, going 5-for-5 with a double, three RBIs, and a stolen base. O'Connor added two hits, a walk, and three RBIs, and Palma went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, including the key bases-clearing double. Juan reached base three times and scored twice, while every part of the Williams lineup contributed to the pressure.
Eph head coach Bill Barrale praised both halves of his team's performance: "Lucas pitched an outstanding game, and offensively the bats came alive."
With the win, Williams improves to 21–13 and advances to the winners' bracket for the NESCAC championship weekend. They will take on Middlebury tomorrow starting at 7:00 PM.
