Walk-Off Win, Extra-Inning Loss In Baseball Split

The Wells College baseball team played a pair of games that were decided in the final inning in a doubleheader split against Southern Vermont College on Sunday morning, March 24 at the Wells Turf Field. In the first game, Wells earned a walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh inning and won 5-4. In the second game, Wells tied the score in the seventh to force extra innings before falling in nine innings 7-4.

Wells is 5-9 overall and hosts Clarks Summit for a doubleheader Tuesday at the Wells Turf Field beginning at 3 p.m.

WELLS 5, SO.VERMONT 4

Neither team led by more than two runs in a back-and-forth affair to open the day. Wells scored twice in the bottom of the first when Dylan Nolan tripled to bring in Jordan VanHerpe and Nolan later scored on a wild pitch.

Southern Vermont tied it with a two-run homer in the top of the third, then went ahead on an RBI single in the top of the fifth.

Anthony Aumick tied it for Wells with an RBI triple that scored A.J. Nesci in the bottom of the fifth.

A sac fly for Southern Vermont in the sixth put the Mountaineers back in front for a short while, but Mark Yorkey had an RBI sacrifice fly for Wells in the bottom of the sixth to score Tyler Young.

In the bottom of the seventh, VanHerpe laid down a bunt single with one out and advanced to second on an infield grounder. Dylan Nolan hit a single up the middle with two outs and VanHerpe slid home with the winning run for the Express.

VanHerpe, Nolan, Aumick, and Nesci all had two-hit games for the Express. Jared Strait was the starting pitcher and worked into the sixth inning. He allowed 10 hits and four earned runs, with five strikeouts and three walks. Derek Shea pitched the final out of the sixth and top of the seventh to earn the win with one strikeout.

SO. VERMONT 7, WELLS 4 (9 inn.)

The Mountaineers overcame an early deficit, took a lead into the bottom of the seventh, and eventually scored three times in the ninth to win in extra innings.

Wells scored in the first on an RBI double to center field by Anthony Aumick that scored Jordan VanHerpe. After Southern Vermont tied it in the second, Derek Shea hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second for Wells that scored Mark Yorkey.

Southern Vermont scored once in the third and added two in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Wells tied it in the bottom of the seventh. Jordan VanHerpe doubled with one out to move A.J. Nesci up to third base. A wild pitch allowed Nesci to score the tying run.

The Mountaineers scored three in the ninth and closed out the win.

VanHerpe and Shea each had two hits and a run scored. Zach Kemp started and pitched seven strong innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, and three earned runs allowed on 10 hits. Alexander Mott pitched the eighth and ninth with two strikeouts and three hits allowed.