The Westminster baseball team repeated their first day of the Tucson Invitational on day two, defeating Middlebury College then falling to Williams College. The Westminster Blue Jays pulled out a 15-14 win over Middlebury in the first game of the day, completing a two-game sweep over the Panthers. They went on to fall to Williams for the second time, 7-6. The team ended the spring break trip 2-2, bringing their overall record to 11-7.
Middlebury Panthers
Middlebury scored three runs in the top of the second inning to be the first on the board. The Blue Jays scored two in the bottom of the inning with a two RBI double from sophomore Adam Mundle and another with a sophomore Nick Bohlmann RBI fielder's choice in the third to tie the game.
The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead in the fourth inning with a two run home run by Tyler Branneky. In the top of the fifth, Middlebury tied the game, but junior Nick Cessna scored on sophomore Blake Strebler's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
Middlebury put up for runs in the sixth inning to take a 9-6 lead. The Blue Jays scored two runs in the bottom of the inning with sophomore Connor Hager's two RBI single to bring the game to 9-8.
Middlebury scored a combined five runs in the seventh and eighth inning to take a 14-8 lead, but in the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Jays scored seven runs to pull ahead 15-14.
The Blue Jays forced three quick outs in the ninth inning to end the game with the 15-14 win.
Cessna went 5-for-6 from the plate with three runs and was also the winning pitcher. He pitched three innings in relief and struck out four. Senior Deion Hughes went 4-for-6. The Blue Jays combined for 20 hits.
Williams Ephs
The Williams Ephs took a 5-0 lead after two full innings of play. In the top of the third, the Blue Jays put up two runs. Hughes hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Strebler, and freshman Mikey Williams scored an unearned run off an error.
The Ephs scored two more runs in the fifth inning, taking a 7-2 lead.
In the sixth inning, junior Tanner Branneky hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Cessna. Williams then hit a RBI double to score Bohlmann.
The Blue Jays added two more runs in the seventh inning to bring the game within one, 7-6. Cessna hit a RBI single to score Hughes, and Bohlmann hit a RBI sacrifice fly to score Ty. Branneky. The Blue Jays left two on base in the eighth inning and were unable to get on base in the ninth to end the game with a 7-6 loss.
The Blue Jay offense recorded seven hits, and Mundle went 3-for-4 from the plate.
Junior Seth Lehmen (0-3) was credited with the loss on the mound. He pitched 3.1 innings and struck out three. Senior Justin Riggins pitched the remaining 4.2 innings and struck out three.
The Blue Jays return home from Arizona and jump back into conference play with an away doubleheader versus Greenville College on Saturday, April 2. First pitch is at 1:00 pm.
