WOOSTER, Ohio – With darkness rapidly approaching, The College of Wooster baseball team mounted a furious, and more importantly, time efficient eighth-inning rally to walk off Kenyon College 10-9 in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader at Art Murray Field. Kenyon took the game-one offensive slugfest 15-13.
Wooster (13-11, 3-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) trailed 9-4 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, then feasted on Kenyon (16-7, 3-3 NCAC) reliever Noah Rosenberg (1-1). First-year first baseman Zack Barienbrock started and ended the six-run rally. He was hit by a Dillon Cleary pitch with the bases loaded just before 8 p.m. to force in the winning run. The game was then called due to darkness and is an official game.
Barienbrock's single through the left side started the rally, and he scored when junior second baseman Andy Heintz ripped a two-run double to left center. Senior left fielder Bryn Langley's one-out double brought in Hentz, then Langley scored on senior shortstop Eli Westrick's base knock up the middle. Junior third baseman Nick Pett roped a pitch down the line that would have won likely won the game, but it was just foul. However, the junior stayed alive and worked the count before walking with the bases loaded, which scored the tying run.
First-year Ben Tarpey's (1-0) job working out of a jam in the top of the eighth inning enabled Wooster to have the time it needed to come back. The right-hander worked around two straight baserunners with a pair of fly outs and a strikeout. He worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.
Sophomore first baseman Ryan Kramer was zeroed in on the Owls all afternoon. He crushed a pair of home runs in the nightcap and had three round trippers on the day. Kramer smoked a solo homer to right center in the bottom of the first inning of game two, a two-run shot to left center in the bottom of game two's third inning, and he blasted a three-run homer to left center in the second inning of game one. The three homers upped the first baseman's count to nine of the year.
Wooster led Tuesday's nightcap 4-2 after three innings, thanks in part to Kramer's homers. Pett joined the homer parade following Kramer's second of game two with a solo shot to right field. He parked a two-run homer out of play down the right field line in the day's opening game.
Rosenberg took the loss in game two, allowing six runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. The right-hander walked three.
Game one featured plenty of offense and four lead changes. Wooster took its first lead of the game with a five-run second inning. Walks loaded the bases full of Scots before junior right fielder Alex Gerdenich roped a two-run single to left field to pull Wooster within 3-2. Kramer provided the other three runs on his first homer of the day.
Barienbrock's first collegiate round tripper came at an ideal time. The grand slam gave Wooster a 12-9 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Prior to the blast, Westrick walked, Kramer singled to center field, and Pett reached on a walk.
Wooster could not protect the lead, as Kenyon pinned three runs on Gerdenich (0-3) in the eighth inning. Drew Robinson's two-run homer was the go-ahead hit.
Jackson Yelland (3-0) earned the win in game one after allowing just one run on four hits in four innings. Gerdenich's line was three runs on four hits in two innings.
Gerdenich's diving catch that saved at least two runs was the big defensive moment of game one. That came in the second inning and stranded the bases full of Owls.
Kramer and Pett combined to go 8-for-15 with 11 RBI, eight runs, five homers, and five walks on the day. Heintz added three hits and three RBI.
Dustin Lee was the leader of Kenyon's offense. He turned in a 5-for-9 afternoon with seven RBI, three runs scored, and two homers.
Next, Wooster hosts No. 2 Denison University (22-3, 5-1 NCAC) on Saturday, April 13. First pitch is set for noon.