Wesleyan jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after two innings and held off a late Middlebury comeback attempt on its way to an 8-5 victory Friday during the opener of a three-game NESCAC West series at Forbes Field. The two teams return to action Saturday for a doubleheader with the first pitch scheduled for noon.

Wesleyan got on the board with two runs in the top of the first and a single tally an inning later. In the first, Andrew Yin started the game with a single and Donnie Cimino walked. The pair executed a double steal and moved up to second and third. Following a pair of pop outs sandwiched around a hit by pitch that loaded the bases, Jordan Farber ripped a two-out single that snuck through the infield and plated Yin and Cimino. An inning later, Cimino took a 2-0 pitch and laced a rope that cleared the left center field fence for a 3-0 Cardinal lead.

The score remained a three-run Wesleyan advantage until the top of the fifth when Jonathan Dennett placed a 1-0 fastball down the left field line for a double. After a fly-out, Eric Jones hit nearly the exact same spot down the line as Dennett for a run-scoring single bringing Dennett home from second.

The Panthers (1-15, 1-9) got on the board in the bottom of the frame. Raj Palekar doubled to the gap in left center and raced around to score on a single off the bat of Johnny Read that hit the mound and bounced high into the air and through the infield.

With Wesleyan (16-5, 4-0) ahead 4-1 in the seventh, Cimino singled through the right side and stole second before Dennett induced a walk. The two runners moved up on a wild pitch, and both scored via a single down the left field line from Sam Goodwin-Boyd to take a five-run edge at 6-1.

Middlebury scored a run in the bottom of the inning when Jason Lock was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved up to third on consecutive walks induced by Joe MacDonald and Ryan Rizzo. Following a pop up on the infield, Read sent an opposite-field single off the end of the bat into right center scoring Lock. The Cardinals got out of the inning with a pop up and a pickoff at first base to end the threat.

An inning later, the Panthers cut the Cardinal lead to three at 6-3 when Jake Turtel began the frame with a pinch-hit single up the middle. He moved to second when Max Araya was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a single to right by Lock. With the bases full, MacDonald sent a sacrifice fly to left as Turtel sprinted home from third.

The visitors pushed their advantage back to five runs at 8-3 in the top of the ninth with a run-scoring single from Ellis Schaefer and a sacrifice fly from Ben Hoynes.

In the bottom of the frame, the Panthers put a pair of runs on the board with one out. Read walked on four pitches and scored on Andrew Corcoran's first career home run on a 2-0 pitch to left center. Wesleyan pitcher Nick Miceli ended the game with a strikeout and a fly-out.

Read finished 2-3 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, while five other Panthers each recorded a hit.

Cimino went 3-4 with a homer and three runs scored, while Farber was 3-5 with two RBI for the visitors. Dennett pounded out two doubles and scored twice for Wesleyan.

Robert Erickson (0-4) took the loss for Middlebury, giving up four runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. Eddie DeArias worked a pair of innings surrendering two runs on four hits and three punch-outs, while Cooper Byrne logged the final inning.

Nick Cooney improved to 5-1 working the first six innings. The lefthander allowed two runs on three hits, struck out eight and walked four. Wilson Flower pitched the seventh with a run on two hits, while Miceli was credited with his fourth save throwing the final two innings.