Wanger Earns First Win

Hanover, New Hampshire - The Yale baseball team polished off an impressive weekend at Dartmouth on Sunday.

The Bulldogs won three of a four-game set at Biondi Park and will head into the final week of the regular season boasting a two-game lead in the Ivy League's Red Rolfe Division.

After sweeping a doubleheader against the Big Green on Saturday, Yale followed with a 4-3 victory over Dartmouth in the opener on Sunday. The Bulldogs dropped the final game, 10-4.

"I'm very proud of my guys," head coach John Stuper said. "It was clearly a very important weekend for us and they responded. Hanover is a very tough place to win. This was a total team effort."

Yale (16-23-1, 10-6 Ivy) and Dartmouth (14-23, 8-8 Ivy) were tied for the division lead entering the weekend.   

With the game tied at 1 entering the sixth, Richard Slenker and Harrison White both drove in runs for the Bulldogs. Then Alec Hoeschel added an RBI to give Yale a 4-1 advantage. Dartmouth scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, but the Bulldogs were able to hold on.

White led the Yale offense with two hits. Nate Adams, Brent Lawson, Andrew Herrera and Tom O'Neill each chipped in with hits for Yale.

Right-hander Benny Wanger (1-3) earned his first win, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out four. Mason Kukowski picked up his fourth save and third in as many games.

"Mason looked like he did last year," Stuper said. "Benny pitched great."

Yale and Dartmouth were tied at 4 late in the second game. But the Big Green scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth inning to pick up the win.

Simon Whiteman had a strong game at the dish, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs. White added two hits, including a double, and Nate Adams drove in two runs.

Yale will close out the regular season against Brown (12-22, 6-10 Ivy). The Bulldogs travel to face the Bears on Friday for a doubleheader beginning at noon and then host Brown on Saturday for a two-game set at noon.

"I like where we are," Stuper said. "But we can't lose sight of the fact that we have another huge weekend coming up. Nobody is going to give us anything. We have to take it."

Filed by Chris Hunn, Yale Sports Publicity.