No. 23 Wooster Splits With Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday

The 23rd-ranked College of Wooster baseball team book-ended Sunday's doubleheader at Ohio Wesleyan University's Littick Field with four-run innings, only to have two different end results, with the Fighting Scots' strong start in game one equating to a 10-5 win, while the seventh-inning rally in the nightcap wasn't enough, as the Battling Bishops took the series finale 9-7.

Junior Ben Hines, one of the heroes in Wooster's (3-1) series-opening 1-0 win on Saturday, led off Sunday's double-dip with a three-bagger, and the Scots quickly had two runners in scoring position after classmate Tyler Chumita walked and stole second. Both runners crossed on Ohio Wesleyan (1-3) miscues, with Hines moving up the final 90 feet on Zack Stiteler's passed ball, and Chumita coming in on Gavin Pulliam's wild pitch.

Junior Ben Gbur, who also walked in the inning, scored on sophomore Dane Camphausen's sacrifice fly, while junior Michael Thomas won the sweepstakes as the first Scot to go yard this spring, with the catcher's round-tripper capping the four-run start.

Ohio Wesleyan's Davis Graham's third-inning sacrifice fly pulled the Battling Bishops within 4-2, but Wooster answered right back with five two-out runs in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Dean Brown walked to lead off the inning, and later scored on Gbur's mammoth three-run homer to center. After junior Alex Gasper reached on an error, Camphausen lifted a two-run homer out to center, with Wooster taking a 9-2 lead on the blast.

The Scots added an insurance run in the fifth inning on Sherman's RBI base knock. That plated Brown, who led off the inning with a triple.

Freshman Corey Knauf, who started his collegiate career by striking out the side in the first, picked up the win. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings of work. Sophomore Ryan Sullivan followed that up with his season debut. The Scots' left-hander struck out two in his scoreless inning of relief, before giving way to junior Dylan Carr, who worked the seventh.

Wooster tallied 11 hits in the opener, with Camphausen, Hines, and junior Dominic Stilliana logging two apiece. Camphausen and Gbur had three RBI each.

OWU's D.J. Neff went 2-for-4 with two RBI and his second homer of the weekend to lead the way for OWU. Pulliam (0-1) worked three innings, allowing four runs on five hits.

Gbur staked Wooster to an early 1-0 lead in the nightcap with his second homer of the day. However, Ohio Wesleyan got to sophomore starter Christian Johnston for two runs in the bottom of the first.

In the second, Brown sparked a two-out rally with a single up the middle, and two batters later, Hines' RBI knock tied the game at two. That's where the score stood until OWU took the lead for good with a four-run third. Max Pershin's three-run homer bumped the Bishops' lead to 6-2.

Hines' walk and stolen base gave Wooster some hope in the seventh, and he later scored when Gbur punched an opposite-field single through the right side. After Thomas walked to load the bases, Stilliana placed a one-out, two-run single down the left field line. Brown's single up the middle plated Thomas and pulled Wooster within 9-7. Tyler Monaco, who picked up the save, notched his sixth strikeout for the final out of the game.

Johnston took the loss after allowing six runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. Ryan Ebeling logged the decision for OWU. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in four innings.

Gbur went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs in the series finale. He was one of seven Scots to have at least four hits on the weekend, while his seven RBI led the team.

Pershin was one of four Bishops with a multi-hit game in Sunday's finale, while his three RBI matched Gbur for the game high.

Of note, Ohio Wesleyan's game-two win snapped Wooster's 20-game series winning streak, which dated back to May 7, 2011.

Next, two of the heavy hitters in the Mideast Region are set to tangle with Wooster heading to Denison University (3-1) for a doubleheader on March 27 at noon. The Big Red are set to make the return trip to Art Murray Field on March 28 at noon.