WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Hamilton College's
Taylor Kaufman '26 posted his first career four-hit game and tied a career high with four runs scored in the Continentals' 14-3 NESCAC West Division win over the Williams College Ephs at Williams' Bobby Coombs Field on Friday, April 19.
Season Update
- Hamilton (10-12, 4-6 NESCAC West) has won three of its last four and scored 66 runs in the past five contests.
- The Ephs (8-17, 2-5) have dropped six of their last games.
How It Happened
- The Continentals blew open a close game with a five-run fourth inning for a 9-2 advantage. Hamilton added two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.
- Greg Kopp '25 helped the Continentals grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Kopp led off with a shallow fly ball to the opposite field and the left fielder dove but didn't come up with it. After a sacrifice bunt, Kopp scored on a groundout to second base by Jackson Sattinger '24.
- After Williams tied the score in its half of the first, Hamilton took the lead for good with three runs in the third. The first two batters reached on a walk and a hit by pitch and they moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Kaufman's seeing-eye single up the middle drove in both runs for a 3-1 edge. Sattinger pulled a hard single into right field and moved Kaufman to third. Kaufman scored on a wild pitch that sailed over the catcher's head.
- The Ephs cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the third on Owen McHugh's leadoff home run.
- The Continentals really asserted themselves in the fourth. Charlie O'Brien '24 made it 6-2 with a two-run homer to center. Kopp followed with a long fly ball over the center fielder's head and it rolled to the wall for a double. Kaufman hit a fly ball to the gap in right center that managed to avoid the right fielder's diving attempt. Kopp held up to make sure the ball wasn't caught and there were runners on second and third. Sattinger blasted an opposite-field shot over the fence in left center for a three-run homer.
- In the sixth inning Kaufman led off with a bloop double to short right-center field. A sacrifice bunt, a walk and a stolen base put two runners in scoring position for Jack Griffin '24, and he responded with a line-drive single to right that plated both runners.
- Hamilton made it 14-2 in the seventh. The first two batters were hit by a pitch and walked, and Kaufman laced an RBI single to center. A sacrifice fly drove in another run and Kaufman scored on Griffin's hard single up the middle.
Notes
- Kaufman leads the Continentals with 28 runs scored and stole his team-high 15th base.
- Griffin went 3-for-4 with two walks and three RBI. He's 10-for-16 in the last four games.
- Sattinger finished 2-for-3 with four runs batted in and he tied the team record with his seventh home run this season.
- Kopp went 2-for-3 with the two doubles and a walk. He tied a career best with three runs scored.
- O'Brien hit his fifth home run this year, was hit by a pitch twice and scored a career-high three runs. Fourteen of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases.
- Michael Tallarida '26 singled in his first game since April 6. Tallarida has hit safely in his last 11 contests.
- Ben Waterman '27 (2-0) allowed one hit in four shutout innings of relief for the win. Waterman hasn't given up a run in his last seven innings.
- Hamilton finished with 13 hits, eight walks and three hit batsmen.
- McHugh drove in two of Williams' three runs. Mike Giove went 3-for-4 at the top of the Ephs' order.
- The Continentals have won five of the last six meetings with Williams.
Next Game
The teams play a doubleheader in Williamstown on Saturday, April 20. The first pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for noon.
