Eddie Reese

Billy Farrow

Two-out home runs by Eddie Reese and Billy Farrow in the eighth inning were the difference in The College of Wooster's 4-1 win over DePauw University on Thursday during the teams' first-round game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, being played at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Wooster (24-15) advances to the winners' bracket game where it will play either Kenyon College (27-10) or Ohio Wesleyan University (23-16) on Friday.

The Fighting Scots had managed just one run on six hits entering the eighth, as DePauw starter Hobs Donovan was tossing a gem. The senior right-hander got the first two outs of the eighth, but then Reese drove a two-strike pitch over the left-field fence to change the momentum. It marked his team-high seventh homer this season.

A four-pitch walk to Johnathan Ray ensued, and next, Farrow crushed a ball way out to left-center for a two-run round-tripper, suddenly giving Wooster a comfortable three-run advantage.

Steve Hagen, who had entered in the bottom of the seventh, made the lead hold up, highlighted by a 1-2-3 ninth inning, in which he struck out the final two hitters. Hagen notched his seventh victory (7-3), working three scoreless innings, as he took over for Josh Stidham, who matched Donovan through the first six with just one run allowed on six hits.

DePauw (30-11), ranked No. 23 but now on a four-game losing skid, struck first with a single tally during the third. Pat Lyons stroked a leadoff double and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly.

The Scots used some two-out magic at the bottom of their order in the fifth inning to tie it, as Jake Zeek and John McClain, both making just their fifth start of the season, hit back-to-back singles, and Michael DeBord followed by finding a hole through the left side to plate Zeek.

Zeek was Wooster's lone player with two hits, going 2-for-3, while Ray reached twice via walks.

Start time for the winners' bracket game is slated for noon.