Playoff Win For Baseball As Wells Continues NEAC March

The Wells College baseball team remained undefeated in the North Eastern Athletic Conference championship tournament and advanced in the winner's bracket with a 5-0 win at Keuka College on Thursday, May 9. The Express advances to face the winner of the other semifinal game between Penn State Berks and Penn State Abington when the tournament continues on Saturday, May 11.

Follow the updated tournament schedule and additional information at the NEAC Baseball Championship website.

Starting pitcher Jared Strait worked eight strong innings and Derek Shea pitched a scoreless ninth to lead the way for the Express.

Wells got a defensive boost in the bottom of the first on a 5-3-6 double play that doubled off a Keuka runner trying to advance from second to third on an infield grounder. The Express got on the board in the next half inning. Anthony Aumick singled off the leg of Keuka starting pitcher Daniel Steve and stole second base. Tanner Dunkel followed with a single to center to bring in Aumick.

Wells added another run in the top of the third as Derek Shea singled and Dylan Nolan was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch, Mark Yorkey grounded to second base and Shea scored from third.

The 2-0 lead held up as Strait limited Keuka to four hits over eight innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Shea gave up a single in the ninth and walked one batter but closed out the victory with a strikeout.

A triple by Nolan followed by a double from Tyler Young gave Wells its third run in the top of the seventh. Yorkey crushed a no-doubt home run to left field in the ninth to bring in Young and put the Express ahead 5-0. It was the first home run of the collegiate career for Yorkey, who drove in three of the five Wells runs.

A.J. Nesci and Anthony Aumick had two hits each.

Strait improved his record to 4-4 on the year. Keuka's Daniel Steve, a NEAC First Team selection, is 5-1.

GAME NOTES

* Check out photos from Thursday's game, courtesy Ed Webber / Keuka College - http://keukaathletics.com/sports/bsb/2018-19/photos/0015/index

* Keuka was the regular-season NEAC champion and top-seeded team in the tournament. The victory by Wells at Keuka's Kuhl Field was the second home loss for the Wolves this season in 15 home games.

* Over his last three outings, Strait has pitched 18 scoreless innings and allowed seven hits and three walks with 17 strikeouts.

* Keuka won all three regular-season meetings against the Express, but Wells held a four-run lead in two of the three games.