Ephs break NESCAC playoff record for hits and runs in 18-5 win over Tufts
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — Senior Taylor Mikell
led a 23-hit attack Friday by going 4 for 4 and driving in five
runs as Williams College defeated Tufts University, 18-5, in Game 1
of the 2009 NESCAC Tournament at Bobby Coombs Field.
The hit and run totals for Williams set new conference tournament
records. The Ephs (25-10) advance to face defending NESCAC and
national champion Trinity (27-5) in a winner’s bracket game
Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Williamstown.
Tufts (17-18) will play Wesleyan in an elimination game at 10:30
at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield Saturday. The loser of the
Trinity-Williams game and the winner of the Tufts-Wesleyan game
will meet at 2:30 p.m. in Willamstown in a second elimination game.
"We hit the ball hard up and down the lineup today," remarked Eph head coach Bill Barrale. "Tufts scored early but we responded immediately, and I think that set the tone for the rest of the game. They knew that we could slug it out with them if it became one of those games."
"The team came out loose," said senior leader Martin
Green. "We responded when they scored runs with big innings
and that was key...we never ran out of energy for the whole
game."
Mikell reached safely all six times he batted Friday. In the first
he had an RBI-double that helped the Ephs erase a 2-0 Tufts lead.
He the third he singled and scored on a Zach Stone groundout to
make it 5-3 Williams.
But his biggest hit came in the fourth when he crushed a
bases-loaded triple off the right field wall for three runs and a
9-4 Williams lead. That shot missed being a grand slam by five
feet.
"We came out looking to put some runs on the board because these
guys held us to 2 runs in the 3 games we faced them last year,"
said Mikell. "I felt good at the plate and the ball was
falling for me today."
Mikell also had an RBI-single in a five-run fifth for the Ephs
that upped their advantage to 14-5. But he also had plenty of help.
Junior Chad Brown was 3 for 4 with four RBI, his big blow a
three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh which
made it 17-5.
"Brown and Mikell both had clutch days at the plate," praised
Barrale. "Mathews has been an RBI machine for us all year and
he came up big with two outs in this one."
Williams lead-off hitter Stephen Maier hit 3 for 5 with two RBI
and two runs scored. Stone was 3 for 6 with three RBI and Robin
Allemand 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Mike Stefaniak (5-2) took the loss for Tufts, allowing nine hits
and six runs, all earned, while walking no one and fanning one in 2
1/3 innings. Williams senior Dan Benz (5-2) picked up the win,
going seven full and allowing seven hits and four walks while
striking out six.
Tufts finished with eight hits. Nate Bankoff was 2 for 4 with an
RBI for the Jumbos.
Said Barrale about tomorrow's game against the defending Div. III national champion Bantams: "It'll be good for us to be on our home field...obviously, it's going to be a tough game for us, but our guys are up to the challenge. We'll see what happens tomorrow."
