Zac Mathie

Michael Wellstead

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster's Michael Wellstead made a diving catch in right-center field on a ball that otherwise would have gone for at least a double and brought in the tying run to complete a Sunday sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference foe Hiram College with a 3-2 victory in game two after dominating the opener to the tune of 17-2 at Art Murray Field.

Hiram (8-10, 0-6 NCAC) threatened to extend the nightcap when Ian Sewolich led off the seventh with a double to straightaway center. Tyler Fugate, the closer for Wooster (12-9, 6-2 NCAC), stranded him there by inducing the next two hitters into a strikeout and pop up, and then Randy Miller's drive into the gap was tracked down by the Scots' right fielder who utilized all of his 6-5 frame to haul in the final out.

Wooster's offense in game two consisted of a Billy Farrow solo shot to lead off  the second inning, marking the first homer of the freshman's career, and a two-out, two-run single from Zack Vesco during the fifth that scored Greg Van Horn and Zac Mathie to make it 3-1.

Taking advantage of two errors in the sixth inning, the Terriers scored a second unearned run off of Scot starter Matt Barnes to pull within one. Fugate came on that frame with two runners on and promptly struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches to end that threat.

Wellstead's catch allowed Fugate to notch his fifth save of the season, already matching his 2010 total, and Barnes upped his record to 3-0 after giving up just three hits and striking out six over 5.2 innings.

In the opener, Wooster's 17-run barrage came in just four innings as it scored three apiece in the second, fourth, and fifth, and then completely broke the game open with an eight-spot in the sixth.

Mathie kick-started the offense with a solo shot to the opposite field (left), the first home run of the freshman's career and the start of a big day for the 6-2, 210-pound outfielder. The game was then delayed for 45 minutes due to a light rain, and when it restarted another freshman homered, this time Craig Day sneaking a two-run dinger inside the left-field line.

Hiram tallied an unearned run in the top of the fourth to pull within 3-1, only to see the Scots expand their lead during the bottom half of that frame. Mathie started the rally again by legging out an infield single and scored when Vesco followed with a double into right-center. Vesco eventually came home on a Michael DeBord single inside the left-field line, and Wooster would add another later in the inning on a fielder's choice play.

After the Terriers got one back in the fifth to make it a 6-2 score, the hosts again answered with three. Van Horn delivered a double down the left-field line and Mathie followed with an RBI double, using the opposite field (left-center). Vesco singled in Mathie, and later, Day added a two-out base knock to plate Vesco, which added up to a 9-2 cushion for the Scots.

Wooster's eight-run sixth included just four hits, highlighted by an Eddie Reese two-run double, as Hiram's pitching staff combined for five walks that inning.

On the mound for the Scots, Justin McDowell improved to 4-1, yielding just one earned run (two total) on two hits over six innings while striking out eight.

Offensively, Mathie finished 5-for-6 with three RBI on the day, Vesco hit 3-for-6 with four RBI, and Day also was 3-for-6 while driving in three runs.

Wooster's homestand continues on Wednesday with a 4 p.m. opening pitch scheduled against Muskingum University (6-11).