Wesleyan Takes Two From Baseball

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Wesleyan University came away with a pair of victories in a rain-shortened baseball doubleheader at Mitchell College on Saturday afternoon, winning by final scores of 8-4 in seven innings and 7-1 in five innings at Alumni Field.

Nick Cooney and Jeff Blout each picked up wins on the mound for the Cardinals. Eric Jones went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three walks to lead Wesleyan at the plate, and Robby Harbison and Jonathan Dennett each added three hits and drove in a pair of runs.

Marc Dorsi led Mitchell with four hits and drove in a run on the day. Evan Peck and Rafael Garcia each added three hits.

Mitchell (7-8-1 overall) will next host Becker College on Saturday, April 5 at noon. Wesleyan (10-5 overall) returns to action at Eastern Connecticut State University on Monday, March 31 at 4 p.m.

Game 1 – Wesleyan 8, Mitchell 4

Mitchell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. With runners at first and second, Dorsi laid a bunt single down the first base line, and with nobody covering home Gavin LaLima headed for the plate to score the game's first run. Kenneth Olszewski later plated another run with a ground out to second base, giving Mitchell starter Mike Tandy an early two-run cushion.

Mitchell's lead lasted until Wesleyan struck for three runs in the fourth inning, all of which were unearned. With runners at first and third, Dennett hit a grounder to second to push across the first run. Jones later put the Cardinals on top for good with a two-run single to left-center that scored Dennett and Ben Hoynes.

Wesleyan loaded the bases in the fifth and broke the game open on a single by Dennett that cleared the bases thanks to a Mitchell fielding error. Harbison then tacked on a RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Dennett as the lead ballooned to 7-2.

After a Mitchell error led to a Wesleyan run in the sixth, the Mariners got a run back in the seventh on another ground out by Olszewski.

Cooney (2-1 overall) gave up three runs on five hits over 4.1 innings and struck out four while walking three. Sam Elias tossed 2.2 innings of relief and struck out two while yielding a run on three hits.

Tandy lasted 4.1 innings and gave up seven runs (four earned) on eight hits.

Game 2 – Wesleyan 7, Mitchell 1 (5 innings)

A seven-run fourth inning broke a scoreless tie and put Wesleyan in control of the second game. The Cardinals sent 12 batters to the plate in the frame and came away with five hits and three walks. Guy Davidson had both a double and a sacrifice fly in the inning to drive in a pair of runs, and Nick Miceli plated two runs with single up the middle.

Mitchell's lone run came in the fourth inning on a RBI double down the right field line by Peter McTernan. After allowing the run, Blout retired the next batter to get out of the inning, and then set the Mariners down in order in the fifth. With a steady rain falling throughout the contest, the game was called due to the conditions.

Blout (5-3 overall) scattered five hits and struck out three over 5.0 innings. Mitchell starter Tyler Shamas gave up seven runs on seven hits and walked five.