WOOSTER, Ohio - Junior Nick Strausbaugh's two round-trippers and four RBI powered the 15th-ranked College of Wooster baseball team to an 8-3 win over Thomas More University on Wednesday afternoon at Art Murray Field.
Prior to Wooster's (19-8) center fielder's power surge, classmate Harry Witwer-Dukes staked the Fighting Scots to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Witwer-Dukes drove a first-pitch offering from Thomas More's (12-18) Mitch Mierke to the right center gap, and that plated junior Dan Harwood, who reached on a two-out walk, and senior Garrett Crum, who extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single up the middle.
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| Junior Nick Strausbaugh is greeted by senior Jacob Stuursma after hitting a home run in Wednesday's 8-3 win over Thomas More. |
In the second inning, freshman Tyler Chumita laced a one-out single into right field in what marked his sixth consecutive plate appearance with a base knock. That turned the lineup over, and Strausbaugh launched a three-run blast out to left field, which comfortably put Wooster on top 5-0.
That was more than enough support for sophomore starter Evan Faxon (3-1), who allowed a single hit in his three innings of work.
However, Wooster wasn't done just yet offensively, as the Scots plated a run in the third when junior Dan Gail ripped a double down the left field line. An inning later, Strausbaugh's solo homer made it a 7-0 game.
Wooster's final run came in the eighth when Stuursma touched home on Witwer-Dukes' RBI fielder's choice.
Crum logged his second four-hit game of the season, in what was also his team-leading 17th multi-hit game. Witwer-Dukes' three RBI backed up Strausbaugh's four, while all nine starters contributed at least one hit among the 16 Wooster accumulated.
Other standouts included senior Wyatt Linde and sophomore Jack Jones, who pitched one-two-three seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Mierke (4-2) allowed six runs on seven hits in his three innings of work, while Alec Garnett was the Saints' big man offensively with two hits, two runs, and a RBI.
Next, Wooster's at the University of Mount Union (18-12) for a 4 p.m. game on Thursday.