CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College's
Michael Tallarida '26 drove in three runs with the help of a solo home run in the Continentals' 8-5 win over the Wesleyan University Cardinals in game one of a NESCAC West Division series at Hamilton's Loop Road Athletic Complex on Friday, April 3.
Season Update
- Hamilton (8-9, 3-1 NESCAC) claimed its first home win of the season.
- Wesleyan (6-13, 2-2 NESCAC) dropped to 1-5 on the road.
How It Happened
- Hamilton strung together four consecutive hits and scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the first. Taylor Kaufman '26 ripped a single to center field and advanced to third on a base hit to right center by Lucas Herman '26. Gianni DiCerbo '27 drove in Kaufman with a single up the middle, and Anthony Palumbo '29 scored DiCerbo and Herman with a double in the right center field gap.
- Wesleyan put runners on second and third with one out in the second, but Hamilton starting pitcher Aden Soroca '27 got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.
- Tallarida lifted a solo home run to left center in the bottom of the second to record his 100th career hit as a Continental and extend the lead to 4-0.
- Ethan Righter '27 and Alfonso Rada '27 led off the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back singles and executed a double steal to give Hamilton runners on second and third. Tallarida drove in both runners with a single down the left field line and made it 6-0.
- Wesleyan's Kato Mangum launched a solo home run in the seventh, and the Cardinals scratched across two more runs later in the inning to trim their deficit to 7-4.
- Righter took the mound for the top of the eighth and struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 frame.
- Rada scored his second run of the game in the bottom of the eighth and increased the Hamilton lead to 8-4.
- Jake Acker delivered an RBI single in the top of the ninth and cut the lead to 8-5. Wesleyan loaded the bases and brought the winning run to the plate, but Righter got a ground ball and the Continentals spun a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
Notes
- Tallarida's home run was the 20th of his career, the 100th hit of his career, and his 50th extra-base hit.
- Rada reached base three time with one hit and two walks.
- Righter finished with two hits, two runs and collected his second save of the season.
- Kaufman and Herman provided two hits and one run scored each.
- Soroca improved to 3-1 this season after recording five strikeouts in six innings.
- Righter recorded three strikeouts over the final two innings.
- William Moore recorded a team-high two hits for the Cardinals.
Next Game
Hamilton will complete its NESCAC West Division series against Wesleyan with a doubleheader at the Loop Road Athletic Complex on Saturday, April 4. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.