The College of Wooster scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead and then held off a rally by Kenyon College, eventually prevailing 10-6 Saturday afternoon for a sweep in the North Coast Athletic Conference championship series, held at Carleton Davidson Stadium in Springfield, Ohio. It marks league crown No. 12 for the Fighting Scots, who posted a 7-5 comeback victory over Kenyon in game one Friday night, and their first since 2006.

The conference championship gives Wooster (35-8) an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III Baseball Championship, which begins with eight regional tournaments next week.

The difference in Saturday's game was the seven-run fourth and several innings of scoreless relief pitching from Justin McDowell (Willard, Ohio / Willard), the tournament's Most Valuable Player, as well as Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview).

The two squads were even, 1-1, entering the fourth. Matthew Pierce (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Casady School) led off with a walk, followed an out later, by a Michael DeBord (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Woodridge) single. The Fighting Scots then caught a break, scoring the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice play that did not result in an out.

A walk loaded the bases, still with just one out, and then Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Twp.) and Luke Sutton (Galion, Ohio / Galion) followed with back-to-back RBI singles, with Sutton's plating a pair. Next, Stu Beath (St. Louis, Mo. / Avon Old Farms – Conn.) delivered the big blow – a three-run homer to right field – giving Wooster a seven-run cushion and knocking out the Lords' starting pitcher.

Kenyon (24-21), with some help from Scot pitching, got right back into the game during the bottom of the fourth. Wooster's three pitchers that inning combined to issue five walks, sandwiched around a couple of hits, which resulted in four runs to make it an 8-5 game.

The Lords cut into the deficit further with a single tally in the fifth, and after the first three batters reached that frame, McDowell was summoned from the bullpen. The sophomore right-hander, who had started and worked 6.2 innings of Friday night's game, prevented any further damage, stranding runners on second and third base.

He proceeded to give up just one hit during the sixth and seventh innings, and then in the top of the eighth, the Scots gained some breathing room from their offense. Beath came up with another key hit, singling in a run, and Matt Groezinger (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) followed with an RBI single for what turned out to be the final four-run advantage.

Miller came on in relief of McDowell for the bottom of the eighth and faced just one hitter over the minimum during the final two innings, closing out yet another NCAC championship for Wooster's baseball program.

McDowell earned his third win of the NCAC Tournament and 10th of the season (10-2), scattering two hits over 3.0 scoreless innings while striking out four without a walk on Saturday. The tourney MVP combined for 20.1 innings pitched and a 2.21 ERA with 17 strikeouts over the last two weekends.

Miller, who notched a save in game one of the championship series, earned a spot on the all-tournament team, as did position players Beath, Groezinger, Shane Swearingen (Hillard, Ohio / Bishop Watterson), and Zack Vesco (Pickerington, Ohio / St. Charles Prep).

Beath was the offensive star Saturday, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, highlighted by the three-run homer, while Sutton (2-for-5 with two RBI), Groezinger (2-for-5), DeBord (2-for-4), and Swearingen (2-for-5) also played prominent roles.

NCAA regional action is expected to start Wednesday, with an announcement of brackets on Monday morning.

2009 NCAC Champions