Wooster's Comeback Comes Up Short at La Roche

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – The College of Wooster baseball team scored the last six runs, but La Roche University quieted the comeback bid by holding the Fighting Scots scoreless over the final three innings of the Redhawks' 11-9 win on Sunday afternoon.

Junior second baseman Eli Westrick led off the sixth inning with an infield single and scored when first-year designated hitter Matt Roche lifted a sacrifice fly out to center field. Next, first-year right fielder John Panstares beat the tag on first-year first baseman Ryan Kramer for a run to pull Wooster within 11-9. Kramer was caught up in a rundown between first and second base.

Samuel DiCicco (save one) shut down Wooster (9-16) from there, allowing just one Scot to reach scoring position the rest of the way. That came in the eighth inning when Westrick singled to left field, advanced to second on a balk, and moved up to third on a passed ball. He was stranded there after DiCicco got the strikeout for the final out of the inning.

Earlier in the game, Westrick tripled to start Wooster's four-run fifth inning and scored on junior shortstop Grant Mitchell's RBI ground out. Sophomore center fielder Ben Carroll lifted a two-run single out to right field and first-year third baseman Andrew McGowan followed with a single to left field that scored Roche and pulled Wooster within 11-7.

La Roche (10-15) dealt Wooster a four-run hole in the first inning. Wooster answered right back with a three-run second to pull within a run. McGowan's single scored Roche, who led off the inning with a walk. Next, senior left fielder Jack Whitehouse drove in Carroll with a sacrifice fly, then Westrick's single brought McGowan in.

La Roche followed up its four-run first with three runs in the second inning and four runs in the fourth. Sophomore Alex Gerdenich settled down the Redhawks with three innings of one-hit shutout relief. Senior Dean Brown held the score where it was with a scoreless eighth inning.

Westrick finished 4-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. The top seven in Wooster's lineup had all 13 hits, with two apiece coming from Panstares, Kramer, Carroll, and McGowan.

Nathan Stutz powered La Roche with three RBI and three runs during a 3-for-4 showing. Kyle Weitzel had three RBI, two hits, and two runs.

Wooster first-year Sammy De Maio (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits in an inning. Chris Tarquinio (1-0) scored the win after allowing seven runs on eight hits on 4 1/3 innings.

Wooster (4-4 North Coast Athletic Conference) returns home to take on Ohio Wesleyan University (14-12, 3-5 NCAC) in a noon doubleheader on Wednesday, April 19.

Photo by Samantha Harris '26