Springfield, Mass. – March 8, 2026 – The Springfield College baseball team wrapped up an impressive first week of the season with a sweep of Williams College in a non-conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon on Archie Allen Field.

Springfield won game one 7-6 and the nightcap 8-3. Springfield is now 4-1 on the season, while Williams opens its year at 0-2.

Springfield earned its first win over Williams since 2020 – exactly six years to the date of the last meeting between the Pride and the Ephs. Springfield is now 4-1 on the season – its best start (5-0) also since that 2020 campaign that was shortened by the pandemic.

In the twinbill, Nate Garafalo (Kinderhook, N.Y.) went 4-for-8 with a triple, two runs and four RBI, while Michael Lepere (Beacon, N.Y.) also drove in four going 3-for-7 at the plate. Chris Balchius (Norwalk, Conn.), Tyler Casey (Wallingford, Conn.) and Jacob Wagner (Westfield, Mass.) combined for six hits, five runs, four RBI, six walks and five stolen bases.

Game One: Springfield 7, Williams 6

Springfield trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth after Williams broke the 4-4 tie in the top of the frame. The Ephs put together their two runs in the sixth on two balks with the bases loaded. In the bottom half, Springfield put the first two on with walks before a single by Dan Vidal (Trumbull, Conn.) loaded the bases for the Pride.

Balchius worked a five pitch bases loaded walk making it a one run game before Casey drove in the game-tying run in David Jurewicz Jr. (Bedford, Mass.) on a sacrifice fly. Lepere then drilled a single through the right side plating Vidal – which proved to be the game-winning run.

Aaron Little (Ludlow, Mass.) headed to the hill with the Pride up one in the top of the seventh and induced a lineout double play before getting the final batter of the game to pop up earning his second save and giving Springfield the 7-6 win – its first win over Williams since 2000.

Springfield produced single runs in the first, second, third and fifth innings leaving the score even at four through five frames. Lepere notched an RBI single in the first, Dan Surette (Braintree, Mass.) posted a sac fly in the second, Garafalo drove in Balchius in the third and Vidal in the fifth.

Nate Kelleher-Mochak (Florence, Mass.) pitched the first five innings for the Pride, but did not earn a decision. Steve Cifarelli (Orange, Conn.) earned the win out of the pen for Springfield, while JH Vaughn shouldered the loss for the Ephs in the opener.

Game Two: Springfield 8, Williams 3

The score was tied at one through one and a half innings before Jack Dunaisky (Longmeadow, Mass.) came across with Springfield's second run on a wild pitch giving the Pride a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Springfield then put up a four spot in the bottom of the third extending the lead to 6-1.

Garafalo drove in both Lepere and Casey with a two-run triple before Dunaisky brought in Garafalo on a ground 0out and Wagner drilled a single to center to score Dunaisky.

Wagner then made it 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a single through the left side once again plating Garafalo. Williams got a run back in the sixth when Ryan Nakajima hit a low line drive to center. The ball got by Balchius and Nakajima came all the way around for the inside the park home run.

Both teams tallied single runs in the sixth before Josh Mayo (Westfield, Mass.) returned to the hill for the Pride in the seventh. He shut the Ephs down in order to earn the complete game victory and to finish off the doubleheader sweep of Williams.

Mayo scattered eight hits, allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out four this afternoon for Springfield. Williams starter Grant Grenier took the loss lasting just three innings.

Springfield will host MCLA in non-conference action on Tuesday at 3:30 pm.

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