WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Strong wind gusts were no match for hard-hit balls by the hosting Williams College baseball team as the Ephs defeated Southern Vermont College 11-2 Thursday afternoon in non-conference action.

With the win, Williams moves to 10-16 while Southern Vermont falls to 11-16.

The Ephs scored once in each of the first three innings and put the game out of reach with a six-run fourth.  Southern Vermont scored twice in the seventh, but was unable to close the gap any more than that.

Williams reliever Kelso Stevens (Charlotte, N.C.) was credited with the win (1-1) as both teams used a variety of pitchers through the game, trying to save arms for the more important last handful of conference games.  Stevens went 2.0 innings, giving up no runs on one hit and struck out two.  Mountaineer starter Joel DeFedele (0-2) took the loss after going 2.0 innings and surrendering two runs on four hits.

Darren Hartwell (North Reading, Mass.), Matt Kastner (Mendham, N.J.), and Marco Hernandez (Fort Worth, Texas) each had three hits for Williams, and Kastner had three RBIs.  Southern Vermont's three hits came from sophomore captain Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N.J.), freshman Adam Michaud (East Hampton, Conn.), and sophomore captain Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y.).  Senior captain Dave Northup (Richmond, R.I.) drove in a run on a fielder's choice play with which he reached base due to an Eph throwing error.

Southern Vermont tries to end a five-game skid with a weekend New England Collegiate Conference series with Elms College; the Mountaineers will travel to EC for a Saturday doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m., and then host the Blazers for the rubber match on Sunday. Williams next plays at home against Bowdoin College on Saturday at 4 p.m.