Steve Hagen

Kyle Koski

WOOSTER, Ohio – Kyle Koski threw a complete-game 2-1 victory in Sunday's second game to give The College of Wooster a split after Oberlin College outlasted the Fighting Scots 3-1 in 14 innings during the opener, as the teams completed their North Coast Athletic Conference East Division series on Sunday at a sunny Art Murray Field.

Having swept the two games Saturday, Wooster (22-8, 10-2 NCAC East) won the series and now holds a one-game lead in the loss column of the division standings over Allegheny College (17-10, 7-3 NCAC East).

After a tough loss in Sunday's first game, the Scots needed a strong outing from Koski and they received one as he rolled through the Oberlin (15-17, 7-7 NCAC East) lineup. The lone run he gave up was unearned, scattering four singles and striking out seven without a walk to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Ian Vernier came through with a clutch two-out single up the middle to plate Craig Day, who had doubled into the left-field corner to start the second inning, for the 1-0 lead.

Wooster made it 2-0 in the fourth, manufacturing a run. Cal Thomay drew a leadoff walk that frame, Shane Gallagher moved him up a base on a well-executed sacrifice bunt, Vernier advanced him to third on a groundout to the right, and leadoff hitter Jarrod Mancine ripped an RBI single through the left side.

The Yeomen pulled within 2-1 on a two-out error during the top of the fifth, but never threatened again as Koski set them down 1-2-3 in both the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win.

The highlight of a wild first game was the performance by Scot starter Steve Hagen as he went all 14 innings. After giving up back-to-back hits in the third, the junior right-hander no-hit the Yeomen for 10 innings, getting 29 of the next 31 out, and the two that reached safely – a walk in the seventh and a hit by pitch in the 12th – Hagen erased both of those runners on pickoffs.

Hagen was efficient, with a final pitch count of 132, but he may have finally tired. Sean Cohen led off the 14th with a single into centerfield, then Oberlin executed a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Next, Robin Witjes took the first pitch he was offered and lined it into center for the 2-1 lead. The Yeomen added an insurance run, when Ryan Bliss, who had an RBI double back in the third, dropped a two-out base knock into right to score Witjes from second.

Wooster nearly rallied in the bottom of the 14th, loading the bases via singles from Mancine, John McLain, and pinch hitter Billy Farrow with one out, however, Oberlin's Mike McDonald, who had taken over in the seventh inning, induced a 4-3 double play to end the game.

McDonald tossed 8.0 shutout innings, allowing seven hits and a walk along the way while striking out 10 and upping his record to 4-2.

Hagen was the hard-luck loser (4-2). The five hits off of him all came in the third and 14th innings, and he struck out nine. More impressive, only seven balls hit off of Hagen reached the outfield through the first 13 innings, as busy infielders Eddie Reese at second and Thomay at first broke school records for most assists (11) and putouts (22) in a game, respectively.

The Scots' lone run in the opener came in the sixth when Day walked on four pitches, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and came around on a Thomay single through the left side. That was the lone blemish against Yeomen starter Harrison Wollman, who worked into the seventh.

While there was little offense in either game, Mancine still managed a four-hit day (4-for-11), and he equaled a team record for at bats in a game with seven during the 14-inning affair.

Wooster will be back in action Tuesday at Ohio Northern University (15-16).