Wolverines Slug Past Gallaudet

DOVER, Del. - Wesley College scored a total of 33 runs to take two games from Gallaudet University in Capital Athletic Conference baseball action and sweep the season series between the two teams.

Bobby Buttafogo (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) tossed a three-hit shutout in the opener, striking out nine Bison in the game.

The offense gave the lefty all the support he needed with a pair of runs in the first inning, but broke the game open with six runs in the second and 10 more in the third.

In the big third inning, Kevin Murphy (Middletown, Md./Middletown) took Jeremy Shepps over the left field wall for his third home run of the season and added an RBI single later in the inning.

Murphy was 3-for-4 in the game with a homer, four runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. Bill Hodgdon (Dennisville, N.J./Middle Township) had a two-hit game with two doubles and drove in a pair of runs. Geoff Kimmel (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) also had a multi-hit, multi-RBI effort in the game.

Stu Madden (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) scored three times and stole a pair of bases. Grant Morlock (Bel Air, Md./Fallston) also scored three times.

Gallaudet threatened in third, loading the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a hit by Zane Nochese. Buttafogo, however, struck out Ryan Hastings and got Shepps to foul out to end the threat.

The freshman retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced and struck out the side in the seventh.

In the second game, Morlock, Kimmel, and Hodgdon combined for nine runs, nine hits and seven RBIs as the Wolverine cruised the the sweep.

Four different players drove in runs as Wesley went ahead 4-0 after the first inning. In the second, Kimmel drilled a three-run home run as the Wolverines scored four times to extend the lead to 8-0.

After the Wolverines scored once in the third, Wesley again got RBIs from four different players as part of a five-run fifth inning.

Gallaudet finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth on a bases loaded hit by pitch and an RBI ground out.

Ryan Doran (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) allowed just four hits and a walk in five shutout innings to pick up his third win of 2009. Andrew Baczkowski (Wilmington, Del./Friends) struck out three of the four batters he faced in the seventh to close out the win.

Kimmel was 3-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBIs in the game. Hodgdon tallied four hits in the game, while Morlock had two hits and scored three times.

Wesley has now won five straight and 11 of 13 to improve to 17-9-1 overall and 5-4 in the CAC. Gallaudet dropped to 2-15-1 overall and 0-11 conference action.

The Wolverines are back in action on Sunday, March 29 with a CAC doubleheader at Mary Washington.