DOVER, Del. – Wesley College's baseball team scored 20 runs on 27 hits to sweep a doubleheader against the City College of New York Saturday afternoon at Bob Reed Field. Behind third baseman Sam Farnell and pitcher DJ Keckler, the Wolverines (5-1) won the first game, 10-1 before shutting out the Beavers, 10-0 in game two.
Farnell went 3-4 with three RBIs in the opener, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle. Keckler, the reigning CAC Pitcher of the Week, was dominant once again in a complete game victory as he allowed just one run on two hits while fanning seven.
A native of Aston, Pa., Farnell scored Wesley's run in the second inning of game one and drove in another in the third. Farnell started the offensive explosion with a single to lead off the second inning. He advanced to second when Matt Robles was hit by a pitch and touched home on Rob Benedict's single to left.
In the third inning, Farnell drove in Morgan Rupp with a two out double to left field. Rupp had reached with a single to center and promptly stole second.
Wesley allowed a run on one hit in the fourth but in the Wolverines half of the fifth, the Navy & White teed off for six runs on seven hits which included a two-run home run off the bat of Farnell. Robles and Jon Carlson also drove in runs while Steve Perone drove in two more with a hit up the middle.
Benedict drove in two more run in the sixth and Keckler (2-0) retired the side in order in the seventh to seal the victory. The senior pitcher from Fallston, Md., retired the last 11 batters he faced.
Game two was a pitcher's duel through the first two innings as both teams went scoreless. That all changed as Wesley scored in each of the next four innings to help Jordan Lozzi earn his second win in as many starts.
The Wolverines scored four runs in the third as Carlson and Geoff Kimmel recorded RBI hits and Casey Rothwell drove in two more with a single up the middle. Perone, Farnell and Conner Gobright each drove in runs in the fourth inning as well to make the lead 7-0 after four innings.
Wesley started to empty its bench in the fifth as Greg McKee came in to hit for Farnell. McKee did not disappoint as he singled up the middle to score Carlson from second.
The eight run lead after five was enough as head coach Bret Underwood pulled Lozzi after allowing just two hits and striking out seven in five innings. Zach Stuart pitched the final two innings and struck out three but not before Perone drove in two more runs for Wesley in the sixth.
Farnell hit a team-high .714 (5-7) in the doubleheader with ten total bases and four RBIs as Wesley hit .422 as a team. Carlson also had five hits in the twinbill with four coming in game two. Perone led the team with five RBIs while going 3-8 in the doubleheader.
Next up for Wesley is a three-game CAC series against No. 9 Salisbury on March 3-4. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday at 12 pm while Sunday's rubber game is slated for a 1 pm first pitch.