Wooster Shuts Out Oberlin in NCAC Opener

WOOSTER, Ohio – Senior Corey Knauf and first-year Constantine Vernadakis teamed up to shut out Oberlin College 4-0 in The College of Wooster's North Coast Athletic Conference opener, then errors cost the Fighting Scots' baseball team in the Yeomen's 18-5 game-two win.

Knauf (3-2) worked around numerous base runners in the first two innings, stranding four Yeomen (11-9, 1-1 NCAC)). The right-hander struck out designated hitter Sean Livingstone for the final out of the first inning, then got right fielder Brady Groves to harmlessly fly out to end the second. Knauf then sent the Yeomen back to the dugout in order in the third and fourth innings. He exited after 6 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts.

Vernadakis struck out Groves to end the seventh inning and worked around a one-out single in the eighth. The first-year right-hander stranded two Yeomen in the ninth to secure his first collegiate save.

Heads up Wooster (11-9, 1-1 NCAC) defense kept the game scoreless in the sixth inning. Third baseman David Curtin stole second base with runners on the corners, but an alert Wooster second baseman Andy Heintz promptly threw out first baseman Kyle Baxt at the plate on the back end of the play. An inning later, center fielder Zach Masnikoff could not get back to second in time, and that enabled senior shortstop Eli Westrick to get the lead runner on a non-force fielder's choice.

Small execution resulted in a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. First-year first baseman Zack Barienbrock scored on a wild pitch after advancing to third base on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of senior left fielder Bryn Langley. First-year third baseman Jay Hanzie's well-placed bunt resulted in an infield single with a run scoring when the Yeomen could not make a play on speedy sophomore right fielder Dan Hanson at the plate.

Heintz scored on Westrick's triple to right center in the seventh. Sophomore designated hitter Ryan Kramer followed with a single up the middle that made it 4-0.

Kramer blasted his team-leading fifth homer of the year over the right field fence in the first inning of the nightcap to stake Wooster to a 2-0 lead. The Scots threatened to break things open early, but Oberlin starter Andrew Shen escaped the bases-loaded jam without further damage.

Wooster did get to Shen again in the second inning, tacking on three runs for a 5-0 lead. Kramer's RBI triple plated Westrick, who reached on a bunt single. Barienbrock followed with a RBI single through the right side, while later, Langley legged out a run-scoring triple to the fence in left center.

Oberlin chipped away at its deficit, getting within 5-3 before a four-error fifth inning enabled the Yeomen to pin six runs on the Scots to take a 9-5 lead. Five of the six runs were unearned. Errors again proved costly in the ninth, with four of the Yeomen's five runs being unearned.

Sophomore Jack Spring (1-2) was charged with the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Davis Hayes (2-0) took the win after allowing two hits in 5 1/3 shutout innings, during which he struck out eight.

Kramer went 4-for-8 with four RBI and two runs over the doubleheader. Langley finished 3-for-6.

Baxt was the thorn in Wooster's pitchers' sides, going 9-for-11 with two RBI.

Next, Wooster hosts Kenyon College (14-4, 2-0 NCAC) at noon on Tuesday, April 2.