SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The College of Wooster baseball team sent 12 Fighting Scots to the plate in the top of the first inning in Saturday's split at Wittenberg University. Wooster took game one 13-12, then fell to Wittenberg 9-4 in the nightcap at Carleton Davidson Stadium.
Wooster (12-10, 2-2 North Coast Athletic Conference) overmatched Wittenberg (10-12, 2-2 NCAC) starter Nick Cunningham, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning while being booked for seven runs on four hits and four walks. Cunningham, who came in with a track record of success against Wooster, surrendered three straight singles to senior shortstop Eli Westrick, sophomore designated hitter Ryan Kramer, and junior third baseman Nick Pett, with Pett's driving in the game's first run. Sophomore center fielder John Panstares' RBI single to center made it 2-0, then three straight walks with the bases loaded exploded the lead to 5-0. Kramer's two-run double to right capped the Scots' seven-run first.
Wooster's next crooked inning was the fourth, when a four-spot made it 12-1. Wooster loaded the bases on an infield single off the bat of junior center fielder Ben Carroll, a single through the right side by junior right fielder Alex Gerdenich, and a walk issued to sophomore catcher Nathaniel Huxtable. Westrick's sacrifice fly brought in the first run of the inning, and the second scored when Wittenberg issued its fourth bases-loaded walk of the game. First-year first baseman Zack Barienbrock's double through the left side of the infield plated Huxtable and Kramer for the final two runs of the inning.
Key defensive plays from Wooster included Gerdenich throwing out Xander Rodriguez at the plate to end the second inning and one-two-three innings for senior starter Corey Knauf (4-2) in the first and third frames. Later, first-year right-hander Constantine Vernadakis struck out catcher Parker Gryskevich with runners on the corners to escape further damage in the sixth inning. In the eighth inning, junior Thomas Gfell got James MacAuley to ground out to Pett to end the frame with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run in scoring position. Gerdenich worked a one-two-three ninth with three fly outs for his fourth save of the year.
Wooster closed its game-two deficit to 6-2 in the fourth inning. Three errors in the frame allowed junior second baseman Andy Heintz and Gerdenich to score. Wittenberg regrouped to get the runs back in the bottom of the frame on Rodriguez's RBI single and MacAuley's RBI double.
Kramer continued to power the offense in the sixth inning with co-conference-leading home run six of the year. The two-run shot brought in Westrick, who reached via a two-out walk.
Austin Luther (2-1) earned the win after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. First-year Noah Kasper fell to 0-2. Kasper's line had three runs in two innings on it with five walks and a hit.
Carroll and Kramer had four hits each for Wooster. Kramer's four runs and four RBI led Wooster. Gerdenich followed with three runs. Rodriguez went 5-for-7 with three RBI and three runs scored. He had a on-base percentage of .800 (8-for-10) with three walks.
Next, Wooster hosts Kenyon College (14-6, 2-2 NCAC) in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 9. Additionally, the team has its free Community Youth Day at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 7 at Art Murray Field.
Photo by Samanatha Harris '26