Cal Thomay beats the throw to third base during Wooster's four-run seventh inning of Thursday's opening game of the NCAC Tournament. (photos courtesy of Russell Kramer)

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The College of Wooster advanced to the championship game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament with a pair of decisive victories on Thursday, 11-3 against Oberlin College in the opener and 10-2 over Allegheny College in the winners bracket at VA Memorial Stadium.

If the scheduled continues to go according to plan, Wooster (31-10) will play an opponent to be determined in the "first" championship game at 2 p.m., on Friday.

During the winners bracket match-up, the Fighting Scots batted around for a five-run third inning and added three more during the fourth for a 9-1 lead, which was ultimately the difference in the eight-run victory.

Tied at one entering the third, Jarrod Mancine legged out an infield single, John McLain was hit by a pitch, and then each moved up a base on a wild pitch. Allegheny (25-15) appeared it might minimize the damage, inducing an out at the plate via a fielder's choice, but instead, Wooster strung together three consecutive run-producing hits – Zac Mathie and Cal Thomay singles and Frank Vance's double to deep right. Ryan Miner added an RBI two-bagger down the line in left before the inning was complete to make it 6-1.

The fourth inning started similarly, with Mancine and McLain reaching via a walk and single, respectively. Eddie Reese, who belted his eighth home run of the season late in the game, advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt, and Mathie doubled them in via a deep drive to centerfield. Mathie scored on another Thomay RBI base knock, pushing the Scots' lead to eight.

That was more than enough for Steve Hagen. The only run the Wooster starter allowed was unearned as the Gators managed just five hits through six innings off of him, and he improved to 7-3.

In game one, the Scots answered Oberlin's (21-20) three-run fourth with three of their own in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 5-3, and later broke it open courtesy of a four-run seventh.

After Ben Whitener lined a two-on, two-out home run over the fence in right to give the Yeomen a 3-2 advantage, Wooster's first three hitters of the fourth all singled, with Miner's base knock into the left-center gap plating both Vance and Craig Day as they quickly regained the advantage. Miner scored shortly thereafter on a Mancine one-out single, one of his four hits in the game (4-for-4).

It remained 5-3 until the Scots put the game away with a big seventh inning. Bryan Miller and Mancine started it with back-to-back singles, then Oberlin committed a throwing error on McLain's sacrifice bunt, allowing Miller to come home with a run. Next, Reese stroked an RBI double, Mathie followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in McLain, and Thomay singled in Reese for a 9-3 cushion.

Wooster received another quality start from ace Keenan White, who upped his perfect record to 11-0 on the season. He went the first seven innings, with the three-run homer being the only scoring as the senior southpaw gave up just four hits in all.

Offensively for the day, Mancine led the way with five hits (5-for-8) and Mathie contributed five RBI while going 3-for-8. Also producing three hits were Thomay (3-for-7, three RBI), Vance (3-for-8, three RBI), and Miner (3-for-8, three RBI).