The Cardinal baseball team took the field this weekend against Hamilton and came away with a 2-1 series victory. After a 3-1 loss on Friday afternoon, the Cardinals came back strong on Saturday to win both games, 5-4 and 2-1. With these victories, Wesleyan moved into first place in the NESCAC West with a 5-3 divisional record, one-half game ahead of Amherst (4-3) and Williams (3-2).

On Friday, Wesleyan was the first one on the scoreboard with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brice Kelly ’10 reached on an error by Hamilton’s third baseman, sending Julian Sonnenfeld ’11, who had walked, to second. Nick Gonsalves ’10 then doubled to drive Sonnenfeld home. The Continentals responded in the top of the seventh to take the lead and the game. Hamilton scored three runs on four hits and one error and kept Wesleyan hitless for the remainder of the game.

The Cardinals came back on Saturday determined to get some payback. Drew Dominguez ’09, Derek Dettorre ’11, and Alex Meadow ’12 all played integral roles in the two wins. The first game of the afternoon went 11 innings before Wesleyan was able to break a 4-4 tie. The Cards scored four runs in the third inning, beginning when Dominguez hit a single before Sonnenfeld doubled to left-center. Garrett Lamborn ’09 walked to load the bases, and then Dettorre hit a two-run single that scored both Dominguez and Sonnenfeld. 

After Kelly grounded out, Meadow reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Lamborn. Next, Jonathan Sheehan ’11 drove in Dettorre on a fielder’s choice, and the inning ended soon after with Wesleyan up 4-1. The men surrendered this lead, however, as Hamilton scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to send the game into extra innings. Dominguez moved to the mound in the ninth in relief of starter Dusty Mones ’09 and pitched three innings, allowing two hits and no runs, with two strikeouts. Dominguez also sparked the game-winning rally in the bottom of the 11th when he singled up the middle and advanced to second on a Sonnenfeld groundout. After Dominguez stole third, Lamborn walked and Lamborn stole second. Dettorre followed with a walk-off single, bringing Dominguez home and the game to a favorable end. Dettorre was incredible at the plate, going 4-for-6, while the all-star effort both offensively and defensively by Dominguez wouldn’t be his last of the weekend.

The second game of the doubleheader was shortened to seven innings since the first went into extra innings. Dominguez went the distance on the mound, allowing four hits and one run, with four strikeouts and no walks. The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Continentals scored after a double and some sacrifices. Wesleyan, however, responded in the bottom of the frame. Lamborn walked to start off the second half of the inning before Dettorre grounded out, sending Lamborn to second base. Kelly then hit a ball to shortstop that looked to be the second out, but the throw went under the first baseman’s glove and into the Wesleyan dugout, scoring Lamborn and allowing Kelly to advance to second. Meadow followed with a single, driving in Kelly for the go-ahead run. The Cards only needed to hold off Hamilton for one inning and did just that, capturing the 2-1 victory. With the pair of wins, Dominguez improved his record to 4-1 on the season.

The Cardinals are in excellent position to clinch a NESCAC tournament berth with 11 games remaining in the season. The team travels to Springfield College on Wednesday before a three-game series at Bates beginning Saturday.