DAVIDSON, N.C. ? The Yale Bulldogs' Jake Doyle led a 17-hit attack by going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in as the Davidson baseball team team fell in the first game of a three-game series Thursday night by the count of 12-6 at Wilson Field. The Wildcats dropped their third straight, falling to 10-8 overall, while Yale reached the .500 mark at 6-6 overall.
After a scoreless first inning for both squads, Yale dented the plate first in the top of the second when center fielder Ryan Lavarnway jacked his second home run of the season over the left field wall for a 2-0 Bulldog lead.
Davidson responded with its own two-run shot off the bat of junior Alden Crissey in the bottom of the second to the 365-foot mark in right-center to knot things up at 2-all.
Lavarnway struck again for Yale in the fourth inning when he stroked a two-out RBI single off the glove of third baseman Crissey, scoring Jake Doyle, who reached on a single to lead the inning off, and Yale led 3-2.
The Bulldogs then got to the Wildcats starter, sophomore Brant West, in the fifth and sixth innings, touching him for five of the seven runs he allowed in those innings. Doyle highlighted the fifth inning with a two-run double to right center field to plate Justin Ankney and P.J. Gorynski for a 5-2 Bulldog lead. Later in the sixth inning, Josh Cox roped a triple down the right field line, plating both Pedro Obregon and Lavarnway, and Yale had an 8-4 lead.
Senior Jay Heafner and Ronnie Shore helped the Wildcats off set Yale's two runs in the fifth inning driving in two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double and a bunt single moving Davidson at the time to within one run at 5-4. Heafner finished 2-for-5 with both hits being his fourth and fifth doubles of year.
Up 8-5 going into the seventh inning, Yale put the game away with a four spot in the inning as the first six batters reached base by way of five singles and a walk, and the Bulldogs dented the plate three times. Cox added a fourth run on a sacrifice fly to center field to give him three runs batted in and Davidson found itself down 12-5 going into the bottom of the seventh.
The Wildcats added one more run in the bottom half of the seventh when senior Alex Entrekin plated Heafner on an infield single after Heafner had doubled down the left field line for the final score of 12-6.
West (3-2) suffered his second loss of the season for Davidson, going five innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits. He did strike out five batters, while walking only two.
Jon Hollis (2-0) got the win for Yale on the mound, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings of work. Reliever Matt Fealey picked up his first save of the year, working three innings of four-hit ball with only one run allowed.
Davidson continues the three-game series with Yale on Friday, Mar. 17 at 6 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for a 7 p.m start, but was moved up to help compensate both teams for game preparations on Saturday.