Craig Day

Top-seeded College of Wooster combined to score 11 runs in the fifth and sixth innings Thursday, keying a 17-13 comeback victory over the No. 4 seed, Wittenberg University, in the first game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, taking place at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Wooster (20-12) was behind 10-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, but got right back into the game with a six-spot that frame. Leadoff hitter Eddie Reese kick started the rally with a two-run homer out to right-center and the next two batters also reached via a single and walk, as the Fighting Scots chased Wittenberg's (20-17) starter. The first of a series of Tiger relief pitchers walked the first batter he faced to load the bases and then Zack Vesco brought one home on an RBI hit by pitch. After an out was finally recorded, Craig Day singled through the left side for two runs, and later Michael Wellstead added an RBI base knock, all of which brought Wooster within three (10-7).

The Scots' five-run sixth inning was fueled by the long ball. After Derek Wyman and Greg Van Horn reached via a single and hit by pitch, Zac Mathie cleared the bases with his fifth home run this spring, and Day followed suit shortly thereafter with his fifth homer, a shot to right-center that also brought in Vesco, who had walked.

Suddenly, Wooster was ahead 12-10, and the Scots padded that lead in the seventh as Van Horn and Mathie singled back-to-back to start. Van Horn scored during a double play.

Wittenberg clawed back into it during the top of the eighth as pinch hitter Tyler James delivered a two-run homer, making it a one-run game at 13-12, however, Wooster responded with four tallies in the bottom of the frame, which also included a rain delay. Day was again a big part of the scoring, starting it with a leadoff double. He scored on back-to-back wild pitches, and also doubling was Van Horn, who plated a pair with his poke to left-center, followed by a Mathie RBI single that made it 17-12.

The Tigers did not go quietly in the ninth, scoring one and loading the bases with two outs before Matt Barnes came in to close the door for his third save of the season. Barnes struck out the lone batter he faced, while middle reliever Steve Hagen notched the win (4-3) for the Scots. Hagen went 1.2 innings, in which he yielded a pair of runs on four hits.

Day's final offensive line read 4-for-5 with five RBI, while Wyman (3-for-5), Van Horn (3-for-5 with two RBI), and Mathie (3-for-5 with four RBI) each came up with three hits on the day.

Wittenberg's Mike Yednock matched Day's four hits with a 4-for-6 outing.

On Friday at noon, Wooster faces the winner of Thursday night's battle between third-seeded Wabash College (18-20) and second-seeded Ohio Wesleyan University (21-13).