Stu Beath

The College of Wooster combined for 14 extra-base hits, including home runs by six different players, during a 13-5 and 15-5 doubleheader sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference East Division opponent Hiram College Saturday afternoon at Hiram, Ohio.

Wooster (22-4, 10-0 NCAC East) bolted out to big early leads in both games, including 8-0 through two innings of the opener. Sean Kapren (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Twp.) set the tone by leading off the day with a homer, then the Fighting Scots strung together three more hits in a row, including a two-run single from Matt Groezinger (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington). Matthew Pierce (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Casady School) added a home run a bit later, as Wooster put up a five-spot in the first.

The second inning again saw the Scots' first four batters all record hits, including a Stu Beath (St. Louis, Mo. / Avon Old Farms – Conn.) triple, followed by back-to-back doubles by Groezinger and Matthew Johnson (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville).

Hiram (1-18, 0-8 NCAC East) tired to make a game of it in the bottom of the third, as the Terriers put together five consecutive base runners – three singles and two hit by pitches – to pull within 8-3.

Wooster sealed the victory with two in the fourth and three in the sixth, highlighted by Derek Wyman's (Marysville, Ohio / Marysville) first career homer, which accounted for the three runs in the sixth.

On the mound, Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic) improved to 5-0, working the first four innings, during which he allowed three runs on four hits. He struck out five, which increases his career total to 240 – now the third-most in school history.

In the nightcap, the Scots scored all the runs they would need in the top of the first. Karpen led off with a two-bagger, and then after a couple of walks, Groezinger belted a grand slam for his third home run of the season. Johnson earned a walk and Pierce reached via an error before Hiram even recorded an out, and Zack Vesco (Pickerington, Ohio / St. Charles Prep) and Luke Sutton (Galion, Ohio / Galion) would each produce an RBI for a 6-0 cushion.

It remained 6-0 until the fourth when the two teams exchanged single tallies, and in the fifth inning, Wooster clinched it with four runs. The first four hitters that frame all reached safely, capped by a two-run home run off the bat of John Warren (New Castle, Pa. / Union Area), which made it an 11-1 game.

The highlight for the Scots over the last two innings came from Phil Pie' (Wyndmoor, Pa. / Loomis Chafee School – Conn.) as the sophomore cracked his first career home run – a two-run shot in the seventh.

Like Trapuzzano in the opener, Wooster pitcher Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview) upped his season record to 5-0. An uncharacteristic fifth inning gave Miller a final stat line of five runs allowed on nine hits, and he struck out seven while walking just one.

Among the Scots' many offensive exploits on the day, Karpen led the way with five base knocks (5-for-9), including two doubles, the homer, and three RBI, while Warren and Beath both ended up 4-for-7. Beath smashed three doubles and a triple in the process. Johnson (4-for-9) and Vesco (4-for-6) also had four hits apiece, while Groezinger combined for seven RBI.

The two squads will play two more seven-inning games on Sunday in Hiram, starting at 1 p.m.