Chandler Dippman

Brian Murray

For the second straight weekend, the No. 7 College of Wooster baseball team won three of four games during a North Coast Athletic Conference East Division Series as the Fighting Scots held off a furious Allegheny College rally in the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game to take a wild 16-13 win, rallied for three runs in the ninth inning during a 3-2 win, and then jumped out to a big lead in a 9-0 shutout in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Meadville, Pa.

In Sunday's first full game, junior Nanak Saran turned in another strong start as the right-hander allowed two runs on five hits in 7 2/3 innings of work to keep Wooster (16-4, 6-2 NCAC) in the hunt.

Allegheny's (14-8, 4-4 NCAC) Jarod Deagan was equally as effective with four hits in eight innings of work, but sophomore Michael Wielansky greeted closer Chase Boyer with a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth inning that made it a 2-1 game. Then, senior Jamie Lackner was hit by a pitch and sophomore Garrett Crum followed with an opposite-field single, prior to junior Drew Tornow reaching on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt to load up the bases.

Later in the inning, sophomore Chandler Dippman laced a go-ahead two-run single to left field when the Scots were down to their final out.

In the bottom of the frame, senior Michael Whitaker picked up his second save of the day, and recorded a pair of strikeouts in the process. Earlier in the afternoon, Whitaker worked 2/3 of an inning to close out the Gators, who scored 10 runs in the ninth inning to pull within three during the conclusion of Saturday's suspended game. Notable, Whitaker's save in the 16-13 win moved the senior past Wooster alumnus Rich Danch for the second-most saves in program history.

Wooster's stellar pitching carried over from the first full game on Sunday into the series finale as Dippman and sophomore Brian Murray combined on a four-hit shutout. Notable, Dippman worked a career-high five innings en route to his first career win, while Murray didn't allow a hit in four innings of work during his first collegiate save.

Offensively, Wooster jumped on Allegheny right away as the Scots first four hitters of the game recorded a base knock, and for the game, six of the Black & Gold's starters tallied a hit, including six who had a multi-hit game.

Wielansky knocked in the first two runs of the contest with a single to left center field, and later senior Ryan Ostendorf beat out a bunt single to make it 3-0. Three batters later, Tornow pulled a three-run double down the right field line, and then came home on Fling's RBI single that made it 7-0 before the Gators worked out of the first inning.

In the next inning, Wielansky legged out an infield single and moved into scoring position with his ninth stolen base of the season prior to scoring on Crum's RBI base knock. Later in the inning, first-year Dan Gail turned in a memorable first collegiate start with a sacrifice fly that made it 9-0.

Wooster's top three hitters – junior Jake Fling, first-year Nick Strausbaugh, and Wielansky – accounted for nine of the Scots' 18 hits in the nightcap.

Next, Wooster hosts Thiel College (11-9, 4-4 Presidents' Athletic Conference) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11.