Jake Fling

Michael Whitaker

UNIVERSITY HTS., Ohio – Junior Jake Fling drilled a first-pitch, go-ahead, two-run single with one out in the top of the ninth inning as the seventh-ranked College of Wooster baseball team rallied to top John Carroll University 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Schweickert Field.

Trailing by one, sophomore Jacob Stuursma led off the ninth inning for Wooster (24-5) with a single up the middle, and moved up to third when first-year Nick Strausbaugh hooked a double down the third base line to set the stage for Fling two batters later.

In the home half of the ninth, senior Michael Whitaker slammed the door on John Carroll (15-17) by striking out the side, including two called third strikes for his sixth save of the season.  

Wooster had plenty of traffic on the bases in the first two innings, but didn't plate one until the third. Fling set the table for Wooster with a leadoff walk and stolen base to move into scoring position. Two batters later, senior Jamie Lackner roped a single into center field to move Fling to third to set up sophomore Garrett Crum's team-leading eighth sacrifice fly.

In the next inning, senior Ryan Ostendorf led off the frame with a single through the left side, and he later scored on a throwing error by John Carroll starter Joseph Franke.

John Carroll, who outhit Wooster 14-11 tied the game at two in the fourth inning when Jason Large placed a two-run single on the left field line.

In the fifth, junior James Usher came into a jam with Blue Streaks on second and third with nobody out, but needed just five pitches to get the Scots out of the inning unscathed, and keep the score knotted up at two.

Two innings later, the Blue Streaks grinded out the go-ahead run with back-to-back singles that later paved the way for a sacrifice fly by John Bondi to make it 3-2.

Fling and Tornow finished with two hits each on the day while sophomore Brian Murray picked up his third win of the 2017 campaign.

Defensively, Stuursma turned in a diving catch in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Dominic Mittiga and Aaron Zawadzki had three hits each for John Carroll.

Next, Wooster takes on Case Western Reserve University (20-14) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Art Murray Field.