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| Zach Klein |
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| Zac Mathie |
The College of Wooster threw out an Oberlin College runner at the plate to end the bottom of the ninth and carried that momentum over into the top of the 10th as its first four batters each singled, leading to a 4-2 victory during Saturday's nightcap between the two North Coast Athletic Conference East Division foes, played at Dill Field in Oberlin, Ohio. With that, Wooster took the teams' annual series, three games to one, overcoming a 3-2 setback earlier Saturday.
Oberlin (14-16, 7-9 NCAC East) threatened to sweep on Saturday, when Blaise Dolcemaschio sent a two-out single down the right-field line and pinch runner John Evans attempted to score all the way from first base. Instead, Wooster (19-10, 10-2 NCAC East) sent the game into extras, as Zac Mathie fielded the ball, relayed it in to pitcher Zach Klein, who gunned down Evans at home plate to maintain the 2-2 tie.
Mathie opened the 10th inning by driving the first pitch he saw into right-center for a single and Cal Thomay followed suit with a base knock through the left side. Kenny Reckart laid down a bunt that not only allowed the runners to move up a base, but he beat it out for a single. With the infield playing in, Craig Day delivered an RBI single through the left side and Bryan Miller followed with a run-scoring fly ball for the two-run advantage.
After giving up a leadoff single to start the bottom of the 10th, Jon Rothman closed out the Yeomen without much drama for his second save in as many days and fourth of the season.
The Fighting Scots had started the second game by drawing three consecutive walks, and Mathie drove in a run via a fielder's choice for a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Oberlin struck for two in the third, only to see Wooster answer right back in the top of the fourth. Miller and Jarrod Maince started the frame with back-to-back infield singles and Billy Farrow later plated one on a sacrifice fly.
It remained knotted at two until the 10th, with both teams receiving strong efforts from their bullpen. For the Scots, Michael Whitaker entered during the third and went 4.0 scoreless innings, followed by Hank Schlueter, Klein, and Rothman combining for 4.0 more scoreless. Klein earned the win (1-0), yielding just one hit and one walk over 2.2 innings.
During Saturday's opener, the Yeomen's Mike McDonald held Wooster's offense in check to the tune of two runs allowed on six hits over seven innings.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first, the Scots scratched out one run in the second inning when Day delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out.
Oberlin made it 3-1 in the fourth, then Wooster pulled within one again in the sixth as Brendan Taylor stroked a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a Thomay grounder.
Mancine tried to rally the Scots with a two-out single in their final at bat, however, McDonald, who struck out eight, finished them off via a fly ball to end the seventh.
Wooster's offensive leaders on the day were Mancine (4-for-9), Mathie (3-for-9), who doubled for the 10th time this year, and Thomay (3-for-6).
Before a key series with NCAC East co-leader Allegheny College (22-7, 10-2 NCAC East) next weekend, the Scots have a couple of mid-week games, starting with a trip to Muskingum University (11-16) on Monday.