Scots Open NCAC East Play With Split Against Terriers

The College of Wooster baseball team bounced back from a 7-6 upset in game one to take the nightcap from visiting Hiram College 8-2 on the opening day of North Coast Athletic Conference East Division play on Saturday afternoon at Art Murray Field.

Wooster (6-4, 1-1 NCAC East) turned to sophomore Dane Camphausen to jump start the offense in game two. The right-handed hitting first baseman delivered with a RBI triple in the second inning, which plated junior catcher Alex Gasper, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and then stole second. In the fourth, it was déjà vu at the inning's start, this time with sophomore third baseman Dean Brown getting plunked, and he motored around the bases on Camphausen's RBI double to center that made it a 2-1 game.

In the fifth inning, Gasper laced a two-run double down the left field line, as Wooster opened a 4-1 lead, and the Scots put the game away with a four-run sixth. Senior shortstop Gabe Sherman tripled to left center to lead off the inning, and junior Ben Hines legged out an inside-the-park homer to the right center gap. Next, Chumita was hit, marking the fifth time a Wooster batter got hit by a pitch, and after senior designated hitter Noah Clement walked, junior center fielder Ben Gbur roped a two-run double down the left field line.

Senior Jay DiBacco (3-0) put an end to the Scots' three-game skid with another brilliant outing. This time the right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings of work, and he needed just seven pitches to work a one-two-three first inning. DiBacco retired the first five he faced and didn't allow a hit until there was one out in the third.

Camphausen, Gbur, and Hines each went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the nightcap.

Daniel Quintero (1-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in four innings. The Terriers were held to five hits in game two.

In the opener, Hiram got to Wooster's bullpen for three runs in the final two innings, and in doing so, the Terriers snapped the Scots' 19-game series winning streak. Evan Fairbanks led off the sixth inning with a round-tripper – his second of the game – and Michael Corsillo's infield single tied the game at six. An inning later, a leadoff walk issued to Chaisson Marrs proved to be the deciding run, with Marrs scoring on David Paus' RBI base knock.

Wooster threatened in the bottom of the seventh with Clement beating out an infield single before junior leftfielder Dominic Stilliana deposited a first-pitch offering from Hiram's Jacob Kocuba into centerfield.  Fairbanks ultimately proved to be the defensive hero, as he made a fine backhanded sliding stop on Brown's grounder for the final out of the game.

Wooster struck first in the opener with Sherman leading off the third with a single, and he scored on Chumita's base knock. Wooster retook the lead in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Hines cleared the bases with a two-out, three-run double, while in the fifth, Stilliana made it a 6-4 game via a sacrifice fly.

Senior Evan Faxon worked five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. Senior Steve Spidell (0-1) took the loss.

Clement led Wooster's offense with a 3-for-4 game, while Fairbanks' two homers and three RBI powered the Terriers.

Kocuba improved to 2-2 after holding the Scots scoreless in 2 2/3 innings of work. Ace Stephen Javorek allowed six runs (two earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Hiram and Wooster are set to meet again on Sunday, April 4 for the final two games of the NCAC East Division opening series. First pitch from Hiram is set for 1 p.m.