Author: Rose Griffin

Despite an optimistic start to the season, the Cardinals were unable to make the underdog run we were all hoping for as their 2018 season came to a close this week. Their final game was a battle for second-to-last place. Leading up to the season finale, the Cards faced off against Wheaton College before playing a series of challenging games against NESCAC foes Williams, Middlebury, and Amherst with dreams of an upset victory. Their tough in-conference rivals, however, made it difficult to make these dreams reality.

First, at Wheaton, Wes produced some of the most offensive action than they have all season while remaining strong on defense, a combination that set the Cards up for victory. Nikki Gerjarusak ’21 got the Cards on the board early with a shot to the right corner of the goal, and the defense held down the fort for the rest of the period.

The Red and Black carried their momentum into the second half as they tried to expand their lead. Shots from Grace Khon ’22, Amy Schaap ’21, and Gerjarusak just missed their target, but Maddie Shea ’20 was able to pull a shot around the goalie to find the opposite corner of the cage, making the score 2-0. Wheaton and Wesleyan traded shots as the game progressed, until a green card given to Olivia Baglieri ’22 left the Cards with a disadvantage, and Wheaton’s Phoebe Seifert found her way around Delaney Wood ’20 to cut their deficit in half. Though the defense has struggled to remain strong for entire games this season, they were able to flip the script against Wheaton and take home the 2-1 win.

Next, the Cards traveled to Williamstown to challenge the 17th ranked Ephs. Wes was able to deny Williams’ attacks for much of the first half in addition to launching their own offense. Erica Horowitz ’20 had a great scoring opportunity just minutes into the game that was expertly blocked by the Ephs’ goalkeeper, while Gerjarusak had a couple of shots of her own. The Cards’ attempts soon paid off when Gerjarusak found the back of the cage to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.

The Ephs responded quickly, evening the score at 1-1 just three minutes later off of a rebound of an initial shot saved by Wood. Wesleyan was unable to generate any offense as Williams continued to attack their goal. Before the first half ended, Williams scored two more goals to give them a 3-1 lead heading into halftime. The second half was more of the same for both teams, and Williams went on to score twice more to beat the Cardinals 5-1.

The Cards’ trip to Middlebury to face the top-ranked Panthers went about as expected. The Panthers scored early and often on their way to a commanding win. Middlebury opened the game with a goal just inside the right post, and scored four more times in the first half. Halftime did nothing to interfere with Middlebury’s control of the game, as they scored six more goals to make the score 11-0. With just over a minute left, Horowitz saved Wes from being shut out by finding the lower left corner of the goal, but Middlebury still prevailed with an 11-1 victory.

The Cardinals next hosted 20th-ranked Amherst for their senior day game. The Red and Black started the game with the energy and excitement any senior day provides, minimizing Amherst’s offensive options while maximizing their attack. In the first 20 minutes of the game, the Cards had eight shots on goal compared to Amherst’s four. Just after these first 20 minutes, however, Amherst got lucky and found a gap in the Cards’ defense to score the first goal of the game and steal the momentum, which Wes never regained.

Amherst wasted no time adding to their lead in the second half, scoring again a minute into the period and again about halfway through. With four minutes to play, Wes had a series of attacks that hinted at a comeback but did not prove to be fruitful. Amherst walked away with the 3-0 victory.

On Wednesday night, the season came to an end with most intense game of the season. Before the game, Wes and Conn College were tied for last place, as neither team had beaten another NESCAC opponent. Both teams were looking to end their season on a high note and finish just out of last place.

Conn got on the board early to take the first lead of the game, but the Birds responded four minutes later to even the score. Conn regained the lead after Wood made a diving save that deflected the ball towards a waiting Camel who was rewarded with an open cage. Both teams maintained their intensity as the first half progressed, which Myla Stovall ’22 capitalized on just before the end of the period. Stovall found her way around two Conn defenders for an unassisted, equalizing goal that would send the teams into halftime tied at 2-2.

The second half passed without a lead change as both goalkeepers were determined to keep their team on top. As the 70 minutes ended with the score still tied, the teams headed into a 10 minute overtime. Both teams’ defenses held strong to thwart any great scoring chances, sending the game into double overtime. The momentum continued shift back and forth with neither team gaining much of an advantage until the 87th minute of the game, when Caroline Ferro received a through ball and beat Wood one-on-one to score the winning goal.

Though the Cards may not have gotten the win they were hoping for, Schaap says knowing they tried their hardest provides some promise for next year.

“I really wanted to get at least one win to end the season on a high note and to get some momentum going into next season,” Schaap said. “As a team we were very determined to go in and give it our all so that we knew we did all we could, and I think that showed with our tough fight last night.”

 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

It looks like last week was a struggle for all of us, including the field hockey team. The Cards lost three more contests, as the team was unable to stop its five-game skid. NESCAC competitors Hamilton, Trinity, and Colby all defeated Wes in three close games, as they near the final weeks of the regular season.

First, Hamilton came to town to join in on the Family Weekend festivities, and they did not make it easy for the Cards to show off for their families. The game went back and forth in the beginning, but the Continentals started to warm up about 10 minutes in. From there, they continuously attacked the Cards’ defense. Goalkeeper Delaney Wood ’20 made 10 saves in the first 25 minutes of the game.

Soon after this stretch of Continental domination, Nikki Gerjarusak ’21 took advantage of a penalty corner from Rachel Pomerantz ’20, tapping a ball from Olivia Baglieri ’22 into the cage. With 10 minutes left in the first half, the Cards were up 1-0.

Wood continued to act as a wall in front of the cage in the second half. The Hamilton offense must have been growing frustrated as shot after shot was blocked by the Cards’ goalkeeper. Unfortunately, Wood could not hold out forever, though she came close. In the 55th minute, the Continentals tied the game at one. Wesleyan had two more good chances on two Pomerantz penalty corners just minutes later, but they could not find the back of the cage.

With just over 10 minutes left in the game and a tie score, both teams were desperate for any small advantage they could get. Hamilton found just that with 55 seconds to go. Hamilton’s Sarah Pierpont crossed the ball to her teammate Michaela Guittari at the back post, who found an opening and took it to give her team the 2-1 lead, and a victory.

After the disappointing loss to Hamilton, the team welcomed Trinity to Smith Field. The Bantams are currently ranked 18th in NCAA Division III field hockey, so the Red and Black were prepared for a challenge. Trinity showed the Cards how they earned their national ranking by scoring just over a minute in to give them an early 1-0 lead. Wes showed some energy in response with a promising breakaway from Colleen Carrigan ’22, though it was shut down by the Bantam’s goalkeeper Lori Berger. Trinity scored once more this period, earning a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second period starting with a promising Pomerantz penalty corner, but Baglieri was just off target with her shot. Trinity took the momentum back moments later, scoring a third goal. Wes picked up the pace for the remainder of the game, taking six more shots and denying Trinity’s attempted attacks. The Cards seemed to lose their edge in the final minutes of the game, as the Bantams added one more tally to the scoreboard.

Despite an unfavorable result, the team was excited by how they competed with such a well ranked team, especially in regards to how the team has grown this season.

To end the week, the team took a weekend getaway to Maine, visiting Colby for another competitive game. Once there, the Cards did not wait around to admire the fall foliage, and instead got right to scoring goals. Again the Cards struck first, as Gerjarusak made an unassisted goal to open up the first period. The rest of the first half was evenly matched, as the teams traded shots and saves to head into the intermission with the Red and Black ahead 1-0.

Colby came out in the second period swinging, as a penalty corner just four minutes in found its way behind Wood to the back of the cage, netting the score at 1-1. The teams continued to match each other well as the second period went on, with neither team having a clear edge over the other for more than a few moments. With time winding down, the Red and Black again struggled to maintain their energy, which the Mules used to their advantage. With 40 seconds left in the game, Colby took a 2-1 lead. Baglieri made a desperate attempt to send the game into overtime as the final buzzer sounded, but Colby goalkeeper Riley Whitmyer denied her shot. Again, the Cards saw their initial lead and hopes for an end to their losing streak dashed in the final minutes of a game.

This week, the Cards will get a chance end their losing streak with a matchup against Wheaton College today, Oct. 9. Then, they’ll face off against Williams on Saturday afternoon. A victory against the Ephs would be the team’s first NESCAC win of the year, and an important win if the team still hopes to make it into the playoffs.

 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

Field hockey endured the flood-warning inducing rains on Tuesday night to face No. 3 Tufts in their fourth game in 10 days. But before that near natural disaster, Bowdoin, Mount Holyoke, and Bates all challenged the Cards to play their best field hockey. Though the results were mixed, with a 1-3 record over the span, the team remains optimistic for their continued improvement.

This latest stretch started as the Bowdoin Polar Bears came to Middletown. The Polar Bears were undefeated on the season and likely came into the game with confidence knowing that Wes has not scored a goal on them since 2013. Unfortunately, the streak was not broken this year.

Wesleyan started the game off right as Nikki Gerjarusak ’21 created a scoring opportunity eight minutes in to the game. Gerjarusak made her way into the Bowdoin circle, forcing Bowdoin’s goalkeeper to defend her line. Minutes later, Bowdoin started to pick up their offense. After seven shots, Bowdoin’s Emma Stevens found the back of the cage, and two minutes later found it again to make the score 2-0.

Bowdoin maintained its offensive power throughout the game, but Wesleyan’s defense held strong and did not allow any more goals. Still, they were unable to convert their strong defense into offensive opportunities. The Polar Bears outshot the Cards 21-7, an imbalance Wes has struggled to fix in many of its games this year. Bowdoin’s two goals in the first half proved to be all they would need to come out on top.

Next, the Cardinals secured their third victory of the season against Mount Holyoke. The first period ended with Wes up 3-0, and the team entered the second period a bit too comfortable with its their lead. 10 minutes in, Mount Holyoke’s Kass Lawrence scored two back-to-back goals to give the Cards a scare, cutting the lead to 3-2. Olivia Baglieri ’22 gave her team some breathing room in the final 20 minutes of play with a goal that stretched the lead to 4-2. The teams traded shots back and forth for the remainder of the game with neither team finding success, and the game ended as a 4-2 victory for the Cards.

The team’s next challenge was up in Maine for a game against Bates. The Bobcats overcame their slow start to the season to earn their first victory. The game started with each team scoring a goal within the first three minutes of the game. Bates earned a 2-1 advantage later in the first period, which was countered after a penalty corner from Rachel Pomeranz ’21 found its way into the goal via Baglieri.

Both teams fended each other off until Bates found another gap in Wesleyan’s defense late in the second period. They would score three more goals, unanswered by Wes, to end the game with a 5-2 victory.

Finally, the Red and Black traveled to play against the undefeated Tufts Jumbos. The Jumbos quickly made it clear why they are currently ranked third in NCAA DIII, as they scored just over four minutes in and did not slow down. Tufts went on to score six goals in the first half and two more in the second, while not allowing Wes to score any, to take away an 8-0 victory. Tufts dominated in shots taken, 31-2, with 21 of those on target, while none of the Cards’ were. Wesleyan goalkeeping had plenty of action to take care of, with Delaney Wood ’20, Caitlin Grant ’22, and Gabby Guzdek ’22 all seeing some time between the pipes. They collectively made 11 saves, with Grant making the most: five.

Again, the Cards were unable to find any offensive power. Tufts had them on their heels at the beginning, built a large lead quickly, and Wes was unable to respond. There’s still plenty of room and time for the Cardinals to improve this fall, which they will look to do in their coming games.

In fact, you can bring your family in on the excitement over family weekend with a field hockey game. The Red and Black will take on Hamilton College at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning with hopes of winning its first conference game of the season. Bring your mom, bring your dad, bring your step-sister, and bring your half-brother’s dog to what could be the most exciting event all weekend.

 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

“Breathe. Believe. Battle.”

Amy Schaap ’21 says these three words will give the field hockey team the strength they need to meet their goals this season. Through the challenges of playing in the ultra-competitive NESCAC conference, remembering to stay calm and confident will propel them towards success. This past week, the team was able to practice their new strategy with matchups against No. 7 Babson College and Roger Williams University. Though they saw some ups and downs in this pair of games, including a loss at the hands of Babson, the Red and Black dominated Roger Williams in their home opener, which should give them momentum into their next stretch of competition.

It may have been the long drive to Babson Park, Mass. that seemed to leave the Cardinals unprepared to play on Saturday afternoon, but whatever the cause, the Beavers took full advantage of the Cards’ initial lapse in intensity to score twice in the first three minutes of the game. It was not until then that the defense woke up for the rest of the half, though the deficit proved to be a difficult one to overcome. Although the defense stopped any further goals that half, the Beavers had struck first, and landed a blow the Cards’ offense could not counter.

The Cardinals again struggled to match Babson’s energy at the start of the second half. The Beavers scored a third goal just over three minutes in, giving them a 3-0 advantage. The Cardinals offense finally answered late in the second half, as Erica Horowitz ’20 found the back of the cage unassisted. Unfortunately, it was not the start of a great comeback story. Babson continued to shut down Wesleyan’s attack attempts, and scored once more to end the game with a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals.

The Beavers were aggressive all over the field. The defense only allowed seven shots, with only two shots on target. Goalkeeper Cassidy Riley did not have much work to do. Additionally, forwards and midfielders combined for 23 shots, with 13 on target. Delaney Wood ’20 made nine saves to bring her season total to 15. The Red and Black will have to step up their attack to compete in the weeks to come.

The loss did not appear to weigh on the Cards too heavily, as they returned home to play Roger Williams this past Tuesday having learned from their loss, perhaps reinvigorated by the crisp Middletown air, and prepared to win.

The game got off to a slower start than the Cardinals’ previous competitions, as both teams’ defenses thwarted their oppositions’ offensive attempts. The first goal came with less than ten minutes left in the first half, when Nikki Gerjarusak ’21 put Wes on the board by faking out the Hawks’ goalkeeper Callie Flanagan and making the unassisted shot.

The Cards grew their lead in the second half as Colleen Carrigan ’22, who currently leads the team in shots taken, used her agility to fire the ball past Flanagan to give Wes a 2-0 advantage. Next, Carrigan’s fellow first year Olivia Baglieri scored her first career goal off of a penalty corner dish from Maddie Shea ’20, buffering the Cards’ lead and securing a much needed win. After a tough loss to Babson, Wesleyan walked away from its home opener with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Smith Field.

Schaap said that starting off the season with a series of wins has helped to build up the team’s confidence after last fall’s disappointing season.

“The wins showed us that we’re capable of playing some really beautiful hockey,” she said. “We’re at our best when we trust and rely on each other and that we shouldn’t look to previous seasons to inform our current season.”

Next, the Cardinals will welcome the Bowdoin Polar Bears to Wesleyan in their first NESCAC matchup of the season. The No. 10 Bears have not lost this season, so the Cards will have to come out of the gate ready to play if they hope to compete. Then, the team heads to Northampton, Mass. on Thursday night to face off against Mount Holyoke College. Wherever the Cardinals go, they will have to breathe and believe before they can get ready to battle.

 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

It may be hot in your dorm room, but think about how hot it must be playing field hockey in this heat. Suddenly, sleeping in the Bennet lounge seems like a luxury none of us deserve. The field hockey team has pushed through this heat wave to start their season on a positive note and are hoping to carry this momentum through the regular season. The Red and Black struggled with a challenging schedule last year, finishing with a 1-9 conference record and landing in second to last place in the NESCAC rankings. Still, the team is optimistic that some new energy and returning talent will power them to the postseason. With a deep roster that includes 23 players and three goaltenders, the team will have a deep bench to help them throughout the season, whether or not it is 90 degrees.

The classes of 2020 and 2021 are expected to make the greatest contributions to the team this fall. Sophomore Nikki Gerjarusak and juniors Erica Horowitz and Maddie Shea return to lead the offensive charge, while junior Rachel Pomerantz and sophomore Amy Schaap will hold down the defense. Delaney Wood ’20 will be back between the goal posts, as she is looking to remain one of the NESCAC’s top goalkeepers this season. In 2017, she made the most saves in the conference, and had the fifth best save percentage.

Additionally, the team added 10 first years to their roster. These freshmen cover every position on the field from goalkeeper, to defender, to midfield, to forward, and will comfortably round out the roster as they make their first appearances on Smith Field.

Coach Patti Klecha-Porter is leading the team for her 34th year and is looking to build on an already storied history with the program. Hopefully, Klecha-Porter will add on to her 206 total wins this fall and make her 14th appearance in the NESCAC tournament this October.

The Cardinals set out on a path towards success this past Wednesday at Eastern Connecticut State University where they played their season opener. The team flew away with a shutout victory thanks to impressive offensive production distributed between several players, a sign that the team is working towards their goals as outlined by Klecha-Porter.

“The focus is on moving as a unit…creating a partnership, and developing opportunities to strengthen every situation,” Klecha-Porter said.

As a result of this gameplan, Wes dominated the game from the beginning. Horowitz scored less than five minutes into the game off of a dish from Gerjarusak. Then, before the first half ended, Rachel Curran ’20 and Meghan Jain ’19 added two more goals to the team’s tally. Heading into half, the team had a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The second half had an even faster start, as Colleen Carrigan ’22 scored the first goal of her collegiate career just over a minute in. At the 44:36 mark, Gerjarusak set up Horowitz for her second goal of the game to give the Cards a 5-0 lead, and Maddie Shea ’20 scored once more for Wes to give the team a 6-0 victory.

Wood had little action during the 60 minutes she spent in goal, as she was only forced to make four saves. Caitlin Grant ’22 got to make her first appearance as a Cardinal between the pipes for the final 10 minutes but did not have to make any saves.

The Wesleyan offense, however, was very busy. They combined to take 31 shots, forcing Eastern’s goalies to make a total of 23 saves. Ten different players took shots on goal, and five different players tallied assists to make the victory possible.

Next, the Cardinals head to Massachusetts for a Saturday matinée against Babson College. The Beavers are already 3-0 on the season and having posted a 17-5 record last season to finish first in their conference, should be a challenging foe.

The team will finally return to Middletown for their home opener against Roger Williams University. The Redbirds beat Roger Williams to start off their 2017 campaign and will look to repeat their victory next Tuesday night at 5 p.m. on Smith Field.

 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

The baseball team finished up its regular season last weekend and will head into the NESCAC Tournament as the number-two seed from the West. Though the team did not end its regular season on a high note, its players have shown more than enough growth to carry them toward another NESCAC title.

The team first traveled to Williamstown on Saturday, April 28 and played two tough games to open up their final stretch of regular-season NESCAC games. The Cards were favored against the Williams Ephs, who were tied for last place, but this was not obvious as both games went to the last inning with the possibility of either team coming out on top.

Mike McCaffrey ’19 earned his second win of the season from the mound, pitching six innings until Ryan Earle ’19 came in for the bottom of the seventh to shut out the Ephs and record his third save of the season.

Offensively, the Cards jumped onto the scoreboard in the first inning with an RBI single from Matt Jeye ’18 and an RBI groundout from Tanner Fulkerson ’20. A sacrifice fly from the Ephs in the third inning reduced the Cardinals’ lead to 2-1, and the Red and Black went on to score a run a piece in the next three innings. The Ephs then scored two more to make it 5-3 heading into the seventh. The Cards were unable to keep their streak going, leaving two men on base and giving Williams the chance at a comeback. The Ephs loaded the bases with no outs, and two RBI singles tied the score at 5-5 until a 5-4-3 double play got the Cards out of the jam.

Jake Alonzo ’20 started off the eighth with a triple, and Kevin Walek ’20 was walked in the next at-bat to put the go-ahead runner on base with no outs. Alex Cappitelli brought his fellow sophomores home with a blast to right field, giving the Cards a 7-5 lead. Earle allowed one hit in the bottom of the eighth before striking out the Ephs’ final batter, giving Wes their first victory of the weekend.

Later that afternoon the Cards again came out ahead, with a five-run second inning marked by two two-run doubles from sophomores Andrew Kauf and Capitelli in addition to a one-run double from Danny Rose ’19. Their lead was extended to 6-0 with an RBI groundout from Earle in the fourth, and the Ephs’ lineup finally started to wake up in the fifth inning, with an RBI single putting the team on the board for the first time. The Cardinals scored twice more in the sixth inning, giving them a comfortable 8-1 lead heading into the seventh.

The Ephs walked up to the plate in the seventh to prove that seven runs were not enough to guarantee victory, and they almost succeeded. With five runs off four hits and one error, the Ephs came within two runs before Earle caught another Williams batter swinging, and the Cardinals flew home to Middletown with another tally in the win column.

Sunday, April 29 was senior day at the Dresser Diamond, and the Cardinals made sure to send their seniors out in style. Freshman Kelvin Sosa pitched his first career complete game, recording seven strikeouts, only two walks, and completely shutting out the Ephs.

The Cards’ offense was also able to quickly break down the Ephs pitching, adding to their decisive victory. The team tallied nine runs heading into the ninth, when Sosa took down the last three batters. After a ground out, the third baseman recorded the final out of the game, and the Cards stormed the field to celebrate Sosa’s victory, showing the kind of support he says was integral in helping him to reach this milestone.

“It was like a dream come true to me,” he said. “I got to pitch in front of my parents for the first time at the collegiate level, and the team completely supported my efforts by providing excellent defense that game…. I had three clutch double plays, which saved my pitch count.”

With this victory, the team also clinched their spot to play in the NESCAC Tournament.

The team went into the week with non-conference games against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Western Connecticut State University. Though the team was hoping to continue the same domination they showed against Williams, they were not so lucky. The team fell to MIT 5-2 on Tuesday afternoon and then 8-7 against Western Connecticut on Wednesday.

The Red and Black ended their regular season this past Saturday with a doubleheader against the Trinity Bantams.

In the first game, the Bantams came out on top and went up 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth. The Cards started to chip away at their lead in the fifth, eventually taking a 6-5 led with an RBI single from Rose in the top of the seventh. Alonzo came in as the closer, striking out the first batter he saw and forcing the next two out on a pop-up and ground-out, respectively, to end the game.

The next game was similarly close, though this time the Bantams did just enough to claim victory. The Cards scored first, taking a 2-0 lead heading into the fifth, before a three-run effort from the Bantams put them ahead. The teams continued to go back and forth and were tied heading into the eighth. The Cards scored two more in the top of the eighth, but the Bantams responded with three runs of their own to take a 7-6 lead and the game.

Though the team’s regular season ended with a disappointing loss to Trinity, they still have a long run in the postseason to look forward to. Sosa is excited for the challenges that lie ahead of him and his team as they head into the tournament, and he is confident that they will find success.

“Competition levels are rising, and the pressure is building up.” Sosa said. “It’s a scary but exciting time for a lot of us. We need to play with hustle, confidence, and make plays without hesitation in order to be successful in the playoffs. No one stands a chance if we play our best baseball this weekend.”

Earle echoed a similar sentiment, describing what the team will need to do in order to find success.

“We will need to be aggressive,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of big moments next weekend, and it will be really exciting to see how the guys respond to it. I am very confident we will attack these big moments and have a lot of fun with it all.”

The tournament begins this Friday at Trinity College, as the Red and Black face-off against the Tufts Jumbos in pursuit of their third NESCAC title.

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

The Cardinals had a chance to reclaim the top spot in their division last weekend with a series against the Amherst College Mammoths but fell short in two of their three games to stay in second place.

The team traveled to Amherst for the first game of the series, and though they scored first with a two-run first inning, it would be the only two times that the Cards crossed home plate that day. As the Mammoths would go on to score seven runs that game, these two runs proved to not nearly be enough.

Returning home for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 21 after their 7-2 loss the night before, the Cardinals came prepared to compete. If the first game had not been cut short to only seven innings, they may have had a chance to avenge their previous loss to Amherst, but time restraints got the better of them.

Amherst scored first in the second game of the series, with their first three runs coming in unearned in the first and second innings. They would stretch their lead to 5-0 in the sixth, and then 6-0 by the top of the seventh inning with two more unearned runs, giving the Cardinal offense lots of ground to make up. AJ Ferrara ’18 started off a late-game rally after Chase Pratt ’20 was hit by a pitch, bringing Ferrara home. Danny Rose ’19 then hit an RBI single to center field to score two more, followed by a single to left field from Andrew Kauf ’20, which made the score 6-4.

With bases loaded, two outs, and momentum in their favor, the Cardinals looked poised for an improbable comeback. But when the Mammoths decided to change pitchers, bringing in Mike Dow to finish the game, the Cardinals’ momentum was slowed, and Dow was able to secure the save for his team.

This late surge in Wesleyan energy seemed to propel them to the next game. They scored twice in the first two innings, coming out to an early 2-0 lead off of RBI singles from Kauf and Alex Capitelli ’20. Amherst’s lineup answered in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring four unanswered runs to put them up 4-2. But the Red and Black’s offense found their rhythm again in the eighth, spurred by an RBI single from Tanner Fulkerson ’20. Capitelli and Kauf added to the comeback as well, hitting RBI an double and single, respectively.

Kelvin Sosa ’21 played his part on the mound, pitching five innings while only allowing four hits and one walk to get his third win of the season. Ryan Earle ’19 came in to close out the game in the sixth inning, and only allowed one earned run to earn another save.

Amherst attempted to stop the Cardinals from flying away with the game, scoring two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth on an infield error. Still, the Cards’ defense remained strong and was able to get the third and final out of the game to come away with the win. With a seven-run eighth inning, Wesleyan was just able to avoid being swept by the Mammoths, winning the last game of their series 9-6.

Sosa’s performance this game, though not his best, perfectly exemplifies how he has worked towards the goals that he set earlier this season.

“Early on in the season I walked seven guys in 10 innings,” Sosa recalled. “If I could figure out a way to limit that, my success will equal the team’s success.”

With only one walk against Amherst, it is clear that he has worked on his control as he intended.

The team then suffered their third loss in four games against the Wheaton College Lyons this past Tuesday. Offensively, Wesleyan struggled to put balls in play. Five Wheaton pitchers aided the team’s shutout, as they collectively recorded seven strikeouts and just five hits. Wesleyan’s pitchers also seem to struggle, as starter Sam Phipps ’21 suffered his first loss on the season. Phipps allowed five hits in the two and two-thirds innings he pitched, and was followed by a string of five more Cardinal pitchers who similarly struggled to evade Lyon bats. Wheaton recorded two doubles, a triple, and a home run to round out their 8-0 victory.

This weekend, the team will face their other little three rival, Williams College, in a three game series that starts with Senior Day at the Dresser Diamond on Friday afternoon. The team will then play a doubleheader against the Ephs on Saturday, and prepare to head into their final week of regular season play.

Earle emphasized the importance of winning this weekend in meeting their goals for the season.

“We want to try to win every game in our league, win a NESCAC Championship, and go on to win a National Championship,” said Earle. “Also, we never want to lose to Purple.”

If the Cardinals do not, in fact, lose to Purple this weekend, they will be well prepared for a run to the NESCAC Championship.

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu.

We are back from spring break, a fence stops us from cutting through Andrus Field, and that can only mean one thing: baseball season is upon us. The baseball team traveled to Tuscon, Ariz. over spring break to play their first 12 games of the season, and posted a 9-3 record to start the season off right.

The Cards’ season started with two wins against Dubuque University and Greenville University, and in just their third game of the season, Greenville forced the Cards to play 10 innings before the Red and Black could claim a 7-6 victory. Just two days later, Salem State University did the same, as the Cards played 10 innings to come out on top, 2-1.

The team suffered their first loss against Buena Vista University after a challenging start. Buena Vista scored eight runs in the first two innings, and though the Cards roared back with a seven-run fourth inning, Buena Vista continued to perform offensively, and the Cards could not keep up, as they fell 15-10 and ended their four-game winning streak.

This loss did little to change the Cardinals’ outlook, because, according to Coach Mike Woodward, the team tries not to dwell on the past.

“As a program, we try to focus on each pitch as a singular event, and then move on to the next pitch,” said Woodward. “That includes striving to be our best selves against every opponent.” 

Wesleyan went on to win their next three games, against Hamline University, Oberlin College, and Allegheny University. The matchup against Allegheny only went 7 innings, which was all the Cards needed to record another victory, this time with a 7-1 margin. Freshman pitcher Kelvin Sosa also recorded the first win of his collegiate career, allowing no earned runs on four hits in his five innings pitched. Later that afternoon, the Cardinals faced Allegheny again, but this time fell 9-7.

The next day, the Cardinals had a rematch against Oberlin, and the game proved to be the highest scoring since the 2000 season. The game was close at first, and Wesleyan was up 8-7 heading into the fifth. Then, with a six-run inning that included a three-run homer from Matt Jeye ’18, and another six-run performance in the sixth, Oberlin had little chance of recovering. The Cardinals showed no signs of slowing down even in the eighth inning. Wes scored another seven runs, including a two-run homer from Chase Pratt ’20, the first of his collegiate career. At the end of eight, Wesleyan crushed Oberlin 28-12.

The Cards split the last two games of their spring trip, losing to Carleton College 5-4, and besting University of Wisconsin-Superior 14-5. Sophomore pitcher Alec Olmstead recorded his second win of the season against Wisconsin, only allowing three earned runs on five hits in seven innings pitched for the Cardinals. He also recorded a game-high eight strikeouts, and is sure to play a big part in the Cards’ defense this season.

Woodward was impressed with his team’s performance in Arizona.

“The guys kept improving in chunks every day on the spring trip,” Woodward recalled. “They were relentless with their energy, and that allowed us to win a bunch of close, tense games, including two in extra innings.”

In addition to their winning record, two Cardinals have already been recognized for their stellar performances on the diamond. Jeye was recently honored as the NESCAC Player of the Week, while junior Ryan Earle was named the conference Pitcher of the Week on March 19. Jeye went 10-for-22 in five games, and totaled 14 RBI’s, eight runs, two doubles, a triple, and a homer. Earle recorded two saves in addition to a win of his own in the Cardinals’ opening week, and helped Wesleyan out of several jams to get them to their 9-3 start. Coming off of a 5-0 record and 2.1 ERA from last season, the Cards expect big things from Earle this spring.

Then, the team returned to the East Coast to play Eastern Connecticut State University on Wednesday evening. Eastern Connecticut surged ahead of a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs that inning and going on to win 13-4. They will face off against Endicott College this afternoon, and have their home opener against Roger Williams University on Saturday afternoon, a doubleheader with games at one and four o’clock. They will get into conference play next weekend, with a three-game series against Middlebury.

The Cardinals have already shown that they can be a successful team, but have plenty to overcome if they want to make a run into the postseason, namely the proportion of underclassmen on the roster. Woodward is confident in the abilities of his players, but recognizes the unique challenges of playing at the college level. 

“We are a young team and we are learning so many things every game about playing at an elite level,” Woodward said.

More experienced teams may pose a challenge for the Cards, which will surely lead to an exciting season that we can all watch unfold from the comfort of Foss Hill. 

Rose Griffin can be reached at rgriffin@wesleyan.edu