Justin McDowell

ADRIAN, Mich. – Justin McDowell (Willard, Ohio / Willard) continued his exceptional postseason on the mound as he gave up just five hits during a near-complete game performance, leading The College of Wooster to a 5-1 win over Concordia University Chicago in the squads' opening game of the NCAA Div. III Mideast Regional Tournament Thursday afternoon at Adrian College's Nicolay Field.

Wooster (36-8) now awaits the winner of Thursday night's game between fourth-seeded Adrian College (31-9) and third-seeded Marietta College (29-15). The winner's bracket game is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m.

McDowell, who earned Most Valuable Player honors of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, had yielded just two hits entering the ninth, when a Jack Walker home run, which may have been wind-aided, to lead off that frame cost him the shutout. McDowell was three outs shy of becoming the first Wooster pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout in the program's NCAA Tournament history (99 total games).

After an out, Concordia Chicago (33-14) strung together back-to-back singles to right field, and with the potential tying run reaching the on-deck circle, Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview) was summoned from the bullpen. Miller struck out the first batter he faced, walked the next to load the bases, and he got out of the jam with another strikeout.

The Fighting Scots had jumped on the Cougars early, as Matt Groezinger (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) ripped a three-run homer to right field in the first inning, marking his 11th round-tripper of the season.

During the third, Stu Beath (St. Louis, Mo. / Avon Old Farms – Conn.) had a leadoff two-bagger – his team-leading 18th double on the year – and scored before an out had been recorded via back-to-back wild pitches to make it 4-0.

Wooster scored on another wild pitch during the sixth, when Michael DeBord (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Woodridge) knocked a leadoff single into center, moved over to second when Shane Swearingen (Hilliard, Ohio / Bishop Watterson) reached via a two-strike hit by pitch, and to third on John Warren's (New Castle, Pa. / Union Area) nicely executed sacrifice bunt. After Concordia Chicago elected to intentionally walk Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Twp.), DeBord came home on the very next pitch, as it got past the catcher.

That was all of the scoring until the Walker drive that drifted over the right-field fence in the ninth.

McDowell, who entered regional play tied with seven others in NCAA Div. III with 10 wins, improved to 11-2. The only trouble he ran into prior to the ninth was the fourth inning. Walker opened that frame with a double, only to see McDowell strand runners on the corners. His final stat line read 8.1 innings pitched with the one run, five hits, and seven strikeouts.

Miller's save was just his fifth this spring, but the 26th of his career, which equals an NCAC record. Allegheny College's Dean Peterson notched 26 saves between 1991-93.

Offensively, Swearingen paced the Scots with two sharp singles as well as the hit by pitch in four plate appearances. Karpen was held without a hit for just the second time this season, however, he did pick up three walks in five trips to the plate.