Kramer, Mitchell, Knauf Shine in Opening Day Split for No. 22 Wooster

WOOSTER, Ohio – The 22nd-ranked College of Wooster baseball team turned Saturday's season-opening doubleheader's nightcap into a rout late and settled for a split against Grove City College at Art Murray Field. Grove City kept Wooster at bay behind All-America pitcher Tate Ostrowski in a 5-1 game-one win, while Wooster roared back for a 19-7 victory in the nightcap.

Wooster (1-1) was comfortably ahead 13-7 before exploding for a six-run eighth inning in game two. Sophomore shortstop Nick Pett led off the inning with a solo homer, Wooster's third dinger of the game, while senior left fielder Jack Whitehouse smacked a two-run double down the right field line that was just out of reach of Grove City's (2-3) Sam DiStefano. Pett wrapped up the inning with a single up the middle that scored Whitehouse.

First-year third baseman Ryan Kramer debuted in the cleanup spot in Wooster's lineup and delivered a two-run single up the middle in his first at bat in game two. That brought in Pett, who drew a one-out walk, and senior first baseman Dane Camphausen, who roped an opposite-field double down the line. Later, first-year center fielder Dan Hanson drew a bases-loaded walk, and sophomore left fielder Ben Carroll made it 4-3 with an infield single that every Scot moved up 90 feet on.

Wooster's lead was 6-3 after two innings, thanks to Kramer's RBI double to left center and senior right fielder Dean Brown's sacrifice fly. The Scots gained separation in the fifth inning on junior second baseman Grant Mitchell's three-run homer that made it 10-6.

First-year Devin Anthony (1-0) scored the win with three innings of relief in support of senior starter Ryan Sullivan. Anthony allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out two. Sullivan was victimized by fielding miscues, with just one of the five runs charged against him being earned in four innings of work. Senior Christian Johnston and first-year Cooper Baer each fired a scoreless inning of relief.

David Leslie (0-1) took the loss after getting rocked for six runs (five earned) on five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Nick Guidas, who was first out of the bullpen for Grove City, did not fare any better, giving up seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.

In game one, Ostrowski, a consensus 2022 All-American, was uncharacteristically wild, hitting six Wooster batters. However, the righty had the stuff to keep the Scots' typically-potent lineup at bay, surrendering just two hits in seven innings of work. Both hits were triples by Mitchell, who tied the program's single-game three-bagger record.

Wooster's run came in the third when Pett was hit to lead off the inning. Mitchell just missed a first-pitch two-run homer, with the ball sailing outside the right field foul pole, but the junior was on the mark moments later with the RBI triple. That was the record-tying hit, as the junior tripled to lead off the second, but the Scots stranded three on the bases. Mitchell's two-triple game is the 18th by a Scot and first since All-American Ben Gbur had two against Case Western Reserve University in 2021.

Grove City got to Wooster's bullpen, scoring four of its five runs off first-year reliever Logan Creamer (0-1). Second baseman Luke Vittone deposited the go-ahead two-run knock into left center with one out in the top of the eighth inning and he had an insurance RBI single in the top of the ninth.         

Wooster junior right-hander Corey Knauf was sharp of the bump, firing seven innings of two-hit shutout baseball. He struck out five.

Ostrowski struck out 12, while Evan Umland (save one) had three strikeouts in his two innings of relief.

Kramer went 6-for-10 with three RBI and two doubles in his collegiate debut. Camphausen and Mitchell logged four hits apiece, while Mitchell's five RBI led the team.

Grove City was paced by C.J. Saylor, who was 4-for-7.

Wooster is idle until its 11-game Florida trip that starts with an 11 a.m. game against Mitchell College on March 12.