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| Drew Tornow had three hits, including a double and a homer, to help lead Wooster past Widener 16-9. (photo courtesy of Bret Billhardt, North Coast Athletic Conference) |
WASHINGTON, Pa. – The College of Wooster quickly turned a six-run deficit into a 16-9 rout of Widener University, as the Fighting Scots scored four runs in the fifth, six in the sixth, and six more times over the last three innings in an elimination game Friday afternoon at the NCAA Div. III Championships regional, being hosted by Washington & Jefferson College at Ross Memorial Park.
Third-seeded Wooster (36-12) was scheduled to play another game Friday night versus fourth-seeded The College of New Jersey (32-11), however, that was postponed until Saturday at 10 a.m., due to impending weather.
Having lost a tough one late Thursday night, when the tying run was thrown out at home plate to end the game, the Scots came out slow against the No. 8 seed, with Widener (25-18-1) scoring in each of the first four innings en route to a 6-0 lead.
The complexion of the game changed in the top of the fifth, though. Chris Fafalios drew a leadoff walk, Drew Tornow singled, and after a fielder's choice kept runners on first and second with one out, the Pride's relief pitcher threw back-to-back wild pitches, accounting for Wooster's initial run. The wild pitches also helped lead to a Kenny Reckart walk, then two big hits came from Chandler Dippman and Jake Fling, with the former pulling an RBI double into right-center and the latter sending one the opposite way to the right-center wall for a two-run triple.
Within 6-4, the Scots also began the sixth inning with a Fafalios walk and this time Tornow followed by drilling the next offering over the fence in right-center to tie the game. It was the sophomore left fielder's seventh home run of the campaign.
Wooster was just getting started in the sixth, as Tanner Kaplan stroked his first collegiate hit through the left side and that later turned into the go-ahead run during a fielder's choice to third base. Joey Gilmore legged out an RBI double and Michael Wielansky and Jamie Lackner continued the hit parade, both sending RBI singles through the left side to put the Scots ahead 10-6.
Tornow led off the seventh with another extra-base hit, this time doubling into right-center, and he came home on a Dippman sacrifice fly, then Fling chipped in an RBI base knock as Wooster had suddenly doubled up Widener, 12-6.
The Pride battled back, putting three runs on the board during the bottom of the seventh, only to see Ryan Ostendorf, who pinch ran for Kaplan in the sixth, give the Scots back the momentum by belting a two-out, three-run homer over the fence in left-center in the eighth inning.
That 15-9 cushion was enough for reliever James Usher, who finished off Widener in the eighth and ninth, as part of a three-inning save – the first of the sophomore's career.
Hank Schlueter collected the win (3-0) after yielding just one earned run (three total) during 2.2 innings of work.
Among the offensive leaders for Wooster were Fling (2-for-6, 4 RBI), Wielansky (2-for-5, RBI), Lackner (3-for-5, RBI), Tornow (3-for-6, 2 RBI), and Dippman (2-for-3, 3 RBI).
The winner of the TCNJ-Wooster game will play again Saturday, scheduled for a 1:15 p.m. first pitch, versus La Roche College (38-10), for the right to advance to the championship round.