NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a pair of extra-inning affairs, it only took nine innings for the Columbia baseball team to complete its sweep of Yale Sunday after a 4-1 victory Sunday afternoon. The Lions (13-15, 9-3) played another strong all-around game, coming up with timely hitting, pitching and defense when they needed it.
Ben Wereski (3-3) lasted 7.2 innings, the longest outing of his career, allowed just the one run on three hits and five strikeouts. The junior walked five and hit another batter, but was able to work out of trouble all afternoon.
The Bulldogs (11-20, 5-7) put the leadoff man on in five of the first six innings to show for it, but only had one run to show for it.
Columbia put a pair of runners on base with one out in the top of the first after two balls that Yale's infield could not field cleanly. Josh Nicoloff stayed hot, roping a double down the leftfield line to give the Lions an early 2-0 advantage.
Despite two hits and working a walk, the Bulldogs settled for just one run in the bottom of the first. Simon Whiteman ignited the Yale offense with a single and stolen base in the bottom of the first. After a Griffin Dey single put runners on the corners, Jake Gehri lofted a sacrifice fly to deep center to cut the deficit in half.
Bury started off the third with a double down the first base line and came around after tagging from second and third on fly balls.
In the fourth, Yale worked back-to-back walks before popping up a bunt, hitting another pop up to short and Wereski went up the ladder for a strikeout to keep it a two-run ballgame. With two in scoring position and one out in the sixth, Nicoloff fielded a grounder, checked the runner at third and threw to first for the second out and followed up with a diving stop moving to his left and Chandler Bengtson scooped the ball at first to retire the side.
The Lions added to the lead in the eighth when Bury picked up his second double of the day, went to third on a ground ball to second and scored when McGill poked a single through the left side with the infield playing in.
The Bulldogs had one last chance, chasing Wereski from the game after a two-out walk and double brought the tying run to the plate. However, Dane Miller forced a fly out to end the eighth and Jimmy Smiley earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Bury finished 3-for-4 with the two runs scored. Ben Porter was 0-for-3, snapping his 17-game hitting streak.
Alex Stiegler (4-4) struck out 10, but allowed three runs, two earned over seven innings for Yale.
The Lions return to Robertson Field at Satow Stadium for a non-conference tilt against Monmouth on Wednesday, April 17. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
