DOVER, Del. – Morgan Rupp hit a walk-off home run in the opener while both Jon Carlson and Trevor Mears drove in a pair of runs in game two as the Wesley College baseball team took a pair of games from Gallaudet in the Wolverines season opener at Bob Reed Field. Wesley (2-0) won the first game, 5-4, before erupting for a 9-3 victory in game two.
Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth in the opener, Wesley scored three runs to tie the game. Corey Jefferson started the rally by reaching on an error by the first baseman and he advanced to second on a ground ball off the bat of Steve Perone. Conner Gobright then cut the deficit to a single run by blasting his first career home run down the left field line.
With the bags now empty with one out, Matt Robles restarted the comeback by drawing a free pass and promptly stealing second. Robles later scored after a single by Carlson and a wild pitch.
Andrew Cooper pitched a perfect seventh inning to keep the score tied at four and Rupp took the first pitch he saw in the seventh out of the park. Rupp and Carlson both tallied a pair of hits in the opener while Cooper got the win in relief of Zach Stuart who tossed five innings while allowing two earned runs on eight hits.
Wesley never trailed in game two after scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Carlson singled to lead off the inning before Cory Smith drove him in with an RBI double. Rupp followed up with a walk and later scored on a balk.
The Bison tied the score with a run in the third and the fifth, but Wesley retook the lead in its half of the inning on a RBI single by Matt Domian. Scoring on Domian's base knock was Tyler Hunter who pinch ran for Jefferson and promptly stile third. Jefferson reached on a one-out double earlier in the inning.
Rich Lober relieved Rob Diamond, who made his first career start on the mound for the Wolverines, to start the sixth. Despite allowing two runners on, Lober came out of the inning unscathed. Wesley's bats really woke up in the bottom of the sixth as they tagged GU pitching for six runs on five hits as Rupp and Perone both brought in runners, while Mears and Carlson delivered with back-to-back two-run hits.
GU got one run back in the seventh but it was not enough to overtake the Navy & White.
Diamond got the win in his debut, allowing just two earned runs on four hits while fanning five in five innings of work. His classmate, Mears, recorded a team-high three hits, while Carlson, Smith and Domian all had two hits apiece.
Wesley makes the short trip to take on Washington College in 2:30 pm start on Monday, February 25. Live stats and an audio broadcast can be accessed on www.GoWesleyAthletics.com.