Wooster Downs Wittenberg, 11-6

A bases-loaded hit by pitch broke a 6-6 tie, and The College of Wooster baseball team went on to top host Wittenberg University 11-6 on Friday afternoon at Carleton Davidson Stadium in Springfield, Ohio. Game two was called in the bottom of the fifth inning due to inclement weather, and it did not reach the point of an official game, which is five complete innings, or the home team leading in the bottom of the fifth. Statistics from game two do not count, per NCAA policies.

Wooster (22-9) jumped on Wittenberg's (21-11) Tanner Griggs with a four-run first that was compounded by three Tiger errors. Junior shortstop Tyler Chumita's single through the right side brought in junior center fielder Ben Gbur, who reached via an error to start the game. Next, sophomore first baseman Dane Camphausen got ahold of Griggs' 1-1 offering for a three-run blast, and that marked the right-hander's sixth dinger of the year.

In the third, senior second baseman Gabe Sherman laced an RBI single through the left side of the infield, with Camphausen scoring on that knock. Camphausen led off the third with a walk, then motored over to third when sophomore Dean Brown plugged the gap with a single.

Wittenberg surged ahead 6-5 with a five-spot in the third, but Gbur welcomed Griggs back to the bump with a leadoff homer in the fourth. That blast marked Gbur's team-leading eighth of the year, and it tied the game at six. Next, junior right fielder Ben Hines walked, and later in the inning Chumita was hit for the 17th time this season, moving him into the top-five within Div. III for most beanballs this year. After Sherman walked, junior left fielder Dominic Stilliana wore a first-pitch offering from Nick Cunningham, and that forced in the go-ahead run. A walk to junior catcher Alex Gasper brought in Wooster's eighth run of the game.

Wooster seized control in all aspects after taking the lead in the fourth. Junior Mitchell Reardon (2-1) worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning while posting a scoreless frame, then Chumita scored on an error and Brown laced an RBI single to center in the fifth, which pushed Wooster's lead to 10-6. Sherman added an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI single.

Camphausen went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI, while Brown and Sherman followed him in the lineup with three hits each. Reardon worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits. First-year Corey Knauf worked the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit en route to picking up his second collegiate save. Knauf stranded both runners he inherited in the fifth, then went out and set down the side in order in the sixth.

Griggs (4-1) was saddled with his first loss of the year. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in three-plus innings. Three Tigers had two-hit games, with Mitchell Davis' two RBI marking the team high.

Wooster was leading 3-2 when game two was called.

Next, Wooster's slated to play a four-game series at Case Western Reserve University (18-8) on May 15-16. First pitch each day is set for 1 p.m.