Baseball Falls at Wesleyan University (Conn.), 6-1

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Elms College sophomore first baseman Zach Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) drove in a run in the seventh inning, but six Wesleyan University (Conn.) pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and scattered six Blazers hits to pace the Cardinals to a 6-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon in Middletown, Conn.

With the loss, Elms falls to 6-12 on the season, while Wesleyan improves to 9-9 overall.

Wesleyan got three hits from junior Chris Bonti (Tampa, Fla.), including a single in the bottom of the fourth that plated what proved to be the winning run. Alex Meadow (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) started the frame off with a single, followed by hits from Donnie Cimino (Westwood, N.J.) and Joe Giaimo (Gillette, N.J.) as Giaimo's knock drove in Meadow with the game's first run. Bonti then delivered his RBI single to make it 2-0 for Wesleyan.

Elms had threatened in the top of the second inning by getting runners to second and third with no outs after a walk and a double by senior third baseman Nico Iavicoli (Hampden, Mass.).   Wesleyan starter Jimmy Hill (Glastonbury, Conn.) got out of the jam with a strikeout, a foul out and another strikeout to strand the runners.  Hill finished with four strikeouts during his three innings on the mound.

Elms got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh on the strength of three hits as Dreher delivered an RBI double to right center, plating freshman right fielder Brady Forrest (Hamdpen, Mass.) who singled earlier in the stanza.

Wesleyan improved its lead to 5-1 in the home half of the seventh highlighted by way of an inside-the-park homer by Steve Moran (Swampscott, Mass.), who lashed a ball deep into the right-centerfield gap. Sam Goodwin-Boyd (Florence, Mass.) scored in front of him on the play.

The Cardinal's final tally came in the eighth inning on an infield error to cap the scoring at 6-1.

Wesleyan collected 11 hits in the game with Cimino and Giaimo both picking up a pair to complement Bonti's three.  

Elms' junior center fielder Steve Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.) went 2 for 2 in the losing effort.

Wesleyan's second pitcher, Chris Law (Dover, Mass.), got the win to improve to 2-0 on the year, throwing two innings while allowing one hit with three strikeouts.

Elms' freshman hurler Geoffrey Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) (0-3) took the loss as he allowed the two runs in the 4th inning.  

Blazers' senior pitcher Matt Wood (Feeding Hills, Mass.), made his first appearance of the year, had an effective start, yielding just one hit over two innings with a strikeout.

Elms returns to conference play on Thursday, April 5 when it hosts Newbury College for the first of a three-game set at 7:30 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass.