LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Down to its final strike, The College of Wooster's Ryan Kramer tattooed a 2-2 pitch for a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Fighting Scots' baseball team to a 9-8 win over host Spalding University. Wooster went on to dominate the middle innings in a 10-4 win against Otterbein University later Saturday afternoon.

Wooster (2-1) trailed Spalding (3-2) 8-3 entering the ninth inning, but Wesley Clark (0-1) lost command of the strike zone, walking junior third baseman Nick Pett and junior left fielder Alex Gerdenich. Senior designated hitter Grant Mitchell loaded the bases with a bunt single, then two runs scored when sophomore center fielder John Panstares deposited a single into right field.

Next, senior shortstop Eli Westrick walked to load the bases and put the tying run on. Kramer's round-tripper marked the sophomore first baseman's second of the weekend.

Gerdenich toed the rubber in the bottom of the ninth inning and shut down Spalding, striking out Joshua Wilmot and AJ Lopez. The junior right-hander induced a game-ended comebacker off the bat of Xavier Rahman.

Earlier, Wooster rallied back from a three-run first-inning homer off the bat of Spalding's Evan Fisher. The score was tied at three after the Scots' trip to the dish in the third inning. Mitchell started Wooster's rally with a single up the middle, then advanced to 90 feet from home when teaming up with Panstares on a double steal. Kramer's two run single to left put Wooster on the board, then he touched home on sophomore catcher Colin Leslie's RBI double to center.

Kramer, Mitchell, Panstares, and Westrick logged two hits each to lead Wooster. Sophomore Cooper Baer retired the lone batter he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning to score his first collegiate win. The save marked Gerdenich's third.

Sophomore Sammy De Maio started and allowed four runs on four hits in two innings. First-year Isaiah Vance allowed one hit in his 3 2/3 innings of work. He retired the first 10 collegiate batters faced.

Wooster held Spalding to nine hits. Ethan Tuttle had the only multi-hit game for Spalding. Fisher and Tuttle had five of Spalding's eight RBI. Caden Krystofia and Clark combined for 16 strikeouts.

Wooster's pitching delivered a strong nightcap against Otterbein. Sophomore Devin Anthony (1-0), first-year Noah Kasper, and junior Thomas Gfell combined for a five-hitter. Kasper held the Cardinals to two hits in his three innings of work, while Gfell worked a one-two-three ninth.

Panstares tied the game at three in the fourth inning, scoring on an infield single off the bat of junior left fielder Leo Widtmann. Westrick's patience yielded a go-ahead bases-loaded walk before Kramer's two-run single capped Wooster's five-spot.

Wooster's lead reached 9-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Widtmann's single scored Pett, who led off the inning with a base knock, moved up to second on Panstares' walk, and reached third via a wild pitch. Westrick again walked with the bases loaded to up the lead to seven.

Anthony dominated early with three strikeouts over the first two innings. Otterbein did not log a hit off the sophomore righty until the bottom of the third inning.

Pett and Widtmann combined for four of Wooster's eight hits against Otterbein. Kramer, Panstares, Westrick, and Widtmann all had two RBI, Westrick drew three walks, and the Scots swiped two bases.

Noah Sprowls' two-run homer was the lone big hit in the game for Otterbein. Luke Walter (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Wooster concludes its four-game Kentucky trip with a noon game against Otterbein on Sunday, Feb. 25.