Williams Sets Two Tournament Records in 18-5 Victory Over Tufts in Baseball Championship
Courtesy Williams Sports Information
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — 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 Baseball Championship 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.
Mikell reach 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.
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.
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.
