Jeremy Parton

Harrison Walls

The run-scoring machine churned to the tune of 19 runs, as the third-ranked College of Wooster baseball team reached double figures for the 11th time this season during a 19-4 win over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Sunday afternoon at Art Nehf Field in Terre Haute, Ind., and with the win, the Fighting Scots upped their winning streak to 15 games, the program's longest since the Black and Gold won that many during the 2008 season.

Wooster (20-3) scored in seven of its nine trips to the plate on the afternoon, including in the second inning when junior Garrett Crum reached on a walk, stole second, and later came in to score on a wild pitch for the game's first run.

The Scots sent nine men to the plate during a four-run third inning that started when junior Jacob Stuursma extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single. Junior Michael Wielansky followed with his first of four walks in the game, and advanced to third on a run-scoring double by sophomore Dan Harwood. Two batters later, senior Drew Tornow walked to load the bases, and sophomore Nick Strausbaugh marked down a tally in the RBI column after wearing a pitch from Rose-Hulman (10-17) hurler Jacob Petrisko. In fact, Wooster had a 5-0 lead after the top of the third inning despite only having two hits, as juniors Chandler Dippman and Tanner Kaplan both drew bases-loaded walks after Strausbaugh was plunked.

In the fourth inning, Wooster continued to set itself up with prime opportunities to score despite hits being few and far between. Wielansky drew a one-out free pass, and the junior speedster swiped his 50th-career base to move into scoring position. That led to another run thanks to a RBI two-bagger by Crum that made it 6-0.

A lack of hits wasn't the case for Wooster starting with the fifth inning, as the Scots started to find holes with their swings. Strausbaugh led off the frame with a flair into left field, and he swooped into second with the second of four Wooster steals in the game. After a Dippman single, junior Harrison Walls logged the Scots' third base knock of the frame to plate Strausbaugh and up the lead to 7-0.

Wooster bumped the lead back to seven in the sixth inning with a three-spot. Wielansky led off the frame with his 44th-career double to move into a now six-way tie for the 10th-most in program history. Later in the frame, a Rose-Hulman error enabled Wielansky to speed home from third base, and the Scots broke the game wide open from there. After the Scots reloaded the bases, Walls delivered his second RBI base knock of the game, with this one coming in the form of a two-run single that made it 10-3.    

Wooster upped the ante to 14-3 in the seventh inning, with Strausbaugh's bases-clearing double accounting for three of the four runs in the frame. Earlier in the inning, Crum recorded his second RBI of the game with an infield single that scored Stuursma.

After not scoring in the eighth inning, Wooster's reserves erupted for a five-run ninth inning. Sophomore Harry Witwer-Dukes knocked in the first run of the frame with a RBI walk, and Walls continued his monster game with a two-run single. Next, sophomore Aaron Spidell capped the Scots' scoring with a two-run two-bagger.

Walls led the way offensively with a 3-for-4 game with five RBI and a run. Strausbaugh added four RBI on a pair of base knocks, and in all, four Scots logged multi-hit games. In the runs' department, Wielansky led the way with a team-high four, and the shortstop will climb into the Scots' top-10 list in that stat the next time he touches home.

Sophomore Jeremy Parton picked up the win in his first collegiate start. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in five innings of work. Noteworthy, first-years Jay DiBacco and Steve Spidell each pitched a scoreless inning of relief in their respective collegiate debuts.

Next, Wooster (8-0 North Coast Athletic Conference) hosts Oberlin College (9-17, 2-6 NCAC) in a twin bill at noon on Tuesday, April 17.