23rd-Ranked Scots Win in Extras, Then DiBacco Two-Hits 25th-Ranked Big Red

The eighth inning continues to be the "magical inning" for The College of Wooster's baseball team, and senior Jay DiBacco stymied 25th-ranked Denison University with a two-hit shutout in the nightcap, as the Fighting Scots won 11-6 in extra innings, and then ran away from the Big Red 14-0 on the opening day of a four-game non-conference set between Mideast Region powers.

Wooster (5-1), ranked 23rd in this week's D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 Poll, needed to work its way back from a 6-2 deficit over the final two innings of regulation in game one. Denison's (3-3) Caleb Struewing plunked the first two Wooster batters he faced in the sixth, then did his job to induce a grounder off the bat of junior Dominic Stilliana. However, Denison's Will Krushena was unable to dig out Anthony Ruggieri's throw in the dirt at first base on what would've been a double play, and that enabled Camphausen to score and pull Wooster within 6-3.

In the seventh, Wooster's lineup got the best of closer Henry Haack, who walked senior Gabe Sherman before surrendering back-to-back singles to juniors Ben Hines and Tyler Chumita, with Chumita's knock plating Sherman. Two batters later, senior Noah Clement's pinch hit RBI ground out pulled Wooster within 6-5, and junior Alex Gasper laced a sharp single into left field to knock in the game-tying run.

Brian McAuliffe led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and moved into scoring position on Noah Leib's sacrifice bunt. Wooster sophomore Ryan Sullivan was able to work out of that jam, with two Big Red hitters flying out.

Wooster, which walked off against Ohio Wesleyan University 1-0 in the eighth inning a week ago, started this week's eighth-inning magic with two outs. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Denison's Jack Arnstein walked sophomore Dean Brown, Sherman, and Hines, then Chumita made the Big Red senior pay with a bases-clearing two-bagger. After junior Ben Gbur was intentionally walked to set up a double play, the Big Red's misfortunates compounded with a fielding error. Gasper continued his big day with a two-run insurance single.

In the bottom of the inning, Denison loaded the bases before Wooster junior Mitchell Reardon froze Justin Wernoski, who was rung up on strikes for the final out.

Chumita and Gasper combined to go 6-for-8 with seven RBI in Saturday's opener, while Hines and Stilliana added two base knocks each. Sullivan (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win with three innings of scoreless relief. Senior Evan Faxon toed the rubber at the onset and allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings.

Krushena's three-run, third-inning homer staked Denison to a 4-1 lead, while three Big Red players had two hits in the opener. Arnstein (1-1) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Starter Taylor Perrett allowed two runs on six hits in five innings of work.

DiBacco (2-0), who faced three batters over the minimum in his masterpiece, overcame a leadoff single in the first, thanks to junior Michael Thomas, who threw out Daniel Spencer trying to steal second. From there, the Scots' senior right-hander was flat out dominant, with a pair of strikeouts in the opening frame. That kick-started a stretch of 10 Big Red hitters in a row retired, with McAuliffe breaking that up by reaching on a fielding error in the fourth.

After a one-two-three sixth inning, DiBacco ran into a bit of a jam in the seventh, before Sherman, Chumita, and junior Colin Springer turned a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Offensively, Wooster continued to have Will McManaman's number, this time knocking the left-hander around for nine runs (seven earned) on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. The Scots chased the Big Red starter from the game on Hines' two-run double, and later in the third inning, Gasper upped his RBI total for the day to six with a two-run single, as Wooster's lead climbed to 11-0.

Wooster tacked on three more runs in the sixth with Hines drawing a bases-loaded walk, Chumita lifting a sacrifice fly out to center field, and Sherman scoring on a passed ball.

Hines did his job as Wooster's table-setter in the nightcap with a 3-for-4 game with four RBI and three runs scored. Gasper finished the day 5-for-8 with six RBI after a 2-for-4 showing in game two, while Springer went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in his first start as a position player

Of note, both hits DiBacco allowed were singles, and no Big Red baserunner reached scoring position until the seventh.

The two teams are set to meet again on Sunday afternoon at Art Murray Field. First pitch is set for noon.