Justin McDowell allowed one hit in five innings.

WOOSTER, Ohio – Matt Groezinger (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) equaled an NCAA Div. III record Saturday, homering for the sixth and seventh consecutive games, and The College of Wooster split the first two of its best-of-three North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal series with Wabash College, as the visiting Little Giants took the opener 6-5 in 10 innings and then the Fighting Scots bounced back in a big way via a 20-1 victory.

The two teams will play the deciding game on Sunday. Opening pitch at Art Murray Field is scheduled for noon again.

Groezinger, who has delivered one home run in each of Wooster's seven games since April 19, is now tied in the NCAA record book with McMurray University's Derek David, who accomplished the same feat just last season (March 25-April 5, 2008).

Brian Lares of Wabash (23-18) punched a two-out single into right field in the 10th inning of game one, scoring Matt Dodaro, who had opened the frame with a base knock. During the bottom of the 10th, closer Keegan Leckrone escaped a jam as Wooster (32-8) got runners on the corners with one out, but he then struck out the Scots' leading hitter, followed by a game-ending grounder for his fifth save of the season.

The Little Giants had led 3-0 going into the bottom of the fourth when Groezinger earned a leadoff walk, stole second, and came around on Zack Vesco's (Pickerington, Ohio / St. Charles Prep) single up the middle for Wooster's initial run. Vesco would score later on a fielder's choice play, pulling the Scots within one.

The very next inning, Groezinger gave Wooster the lead via a two-run round-tripper to right-center.

Wabash evened the score, 4-4, in the seventh on a two-out Jake Thomas RBI double, and John Holm led off the eighth with a solo shot, giving the visitors the lead again. It marked just the second home run allowed during the standout career of Scot senior pitcher Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview), who started and went 7.0 innings, yielding four earned runs on eight hits in a no-decision.

Wooster came right back in the bottom of the eighth, with Derek Wyman (Marysville, Ohio / Marysville) delivering a clutch two-out RBI single to tie it, 5-5.

Neither team mounted much of a threat in the ninth, setting up Lares's and Leckrone's heroics.

Picking up the win was Andrew Swart (5-1), who worked 2.2 innings and gave up one run.

John Warren helps turn a double play.

The Scots' Justin McDowell (Willard, Ohio / Willard) set the tone for the nightcap, as the sophomore right-hander did not allow a hit through four innings, highlighted by striking out the side in the second.

Wooster's offense would provide plenty of support. In the second, the Scots scored three times coming on two-baggers by Vesco and Wyman, an RBI single through the left side by Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township), and an RBI single by Luke Sutton (Galion, Ohio / Galion) through the right side.

Leading 3-0 entering the top of the fifth, Wooster began to gain some separation with a four-run inning, highlighted by Vesco's three-run home run off the golf clubhouse beyond the right-center field fence. It marked the first homer of the freshman's career, while Groezinger had doubled in a run prior to that.

In the sixth, Groezinger matched Vesco, as his record-tying dinger – a solo shot – also went off the roof of the golf clubhouse. The Scots tacked on two more, extending their advantage to 10-0.

Dodaro homered for the Little Giants in the bottom of the sixth, only to see Wooster turn it into a laugher by plating six in the seventh, three more in the eighth, and a single tally in the ninth.

McDowell earned the win (8-2), tying Miller for the league lead in that category, as the former tossed one-hit scoreless ball through five innings and struck out five along the way.

Offensively on the day, Groezinger combined to go 4-for-9 with two doubles, the two home runs, and six RBI. Vesco actually led all players with six hits in nine at bats and he also drove in six runs. Also of note, Karpen had two hits in each game as part of a 4-for-11, two-RBI effort and Wyman went 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles and two key RBI.

Wabash, which had just three hits in game two, was paced by Dodaro (3-for-6) and Holm (3-for-6).