Wooster Chases After Program History During Doubleheader Sweep Over Hiram

The College of Wooster baseball team powered its way past host Hiram College with 10 home runs, including eight in game one, during Sunday's 28-5, 11-7 sweep over the Terriers in North Coast Athletic Conference East Division action at Proverbs Park in Hiram, Ohio.

Wooster (8-4, 3-1 NCAC East), which now has a 2021 NCAA Div. III single-game leading eight homers in a game, wasted no time getting to Hiram (6-14, 1-3 NCAC) starter Ben Gustely, with junior designated hitter Alex Gasper teeing off on a 2-0 offering for a grand slam, and sophomore third baseman Dean Brown following that up with a solo shot during the Scots' seven-run first inning.

Wooster's power surge continued in the fourth inning with Brown and junior left fielder Dominic Stilliana blasting three-run shots, as the Scots' lead ballooned to 14-1. In the fifth, senior second baseman Gabe Sherman clubbed his first collegiate round-tripper, and that went in the books as a two-run shot. An inning later, junior centerfielder Ben Gbur blasted a 1-2 pitch from Case Wiles over the centerfield fence for three-run homer, and two batters later, Brown was at it again, this time with a two-run dinger.

The Scots' home run parade was capped by freshman right fielder Bryn Langley, who hit a three-run homer in the seventh.

Of note, Wooster's eight home runs are the third-most in program history, trailing the NCAA Div. III single-game record of 13 against Kenyon College from March 29, 1986, and the 11 the Scots had against the University of Mount Union on April 27, 2009. Individually, Brown's the first Scot with three round-trippers in a game since All-American Jamie Lackner did so against Muskingum University on March 25, 2015, while it's the eighth known three-homer game in Div. III this spring.

Speaking of Brown, he went 5-for-5 with six RBI and four runs scored in the opening game, while Stilliana was 4-for-7 with three RBI and three runs scored. Gbur went 3-for-5 at the dish with four RBI and three runs scored, and sophomore first baseman Dane Camphausen added three hits and three runs.

Sophomore Christian Johnston (1-2) picked up his second collegiate win. He allowed one run on five hits in five innings of work. Gustely took the loss. He lasted one-third of an inning, allowing six runs on five hits.

Aidan Jantz was Hiram's offensive standout with a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Notable, Wooster's 28 runs are the sixth-most in program history.

Gbur doubled and stole third in the second inning of the weekend finale, then scored on junior catcher Michael Thomas' single through the right side for the game's first run. Junior shortstop Tyler Chumita legged out a triple to start the third inning, and Stilliana promptly made it a 2-0 game via a sacrifice fly.

Wooster's small ball execution continued in the fourth with junior right fielder Ben Hines and Chumita logging back-to-back sacrifice flies, which enabled the Scots to take a 4-1 lead.

Come the fifth inning, it was back to the big sticks, as Camphausen led off the frame with the Scots' ninth homer of the day, and later Brown upped his RBI haul to seven with a single through the right side. Brown scored later in the fifth on a Hiram error, with his run upping the ante to 7-1.

In the sixth, Gbur drilled a three-run homer for his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season, while in the seventh, Thomas and Chumita roped doubles down the left field line, with Thomas coming on the latter for the Scots' final run.

Sophomore Ryan Sullivan, who was making his first collegiate start, picked up win No. 2 after allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. From there, junior Colin Springer picked up the torch, induced a ground out to end the fifth, and worked the rest of the way to pick up the save.

Robert James (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in three-plus innings.

Chumita capped the weekend with a 4-for-4 showing with two RBI in game two, while Gbur went 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBI. Thomas finished 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored, while in all, the Scots tallied 15 base knocks.

David Paus led Hiram with three RBI as part of a 2-for-3 effort.

Next, Wooster continues NCAC East Division play with a midweek trip to Allegheny College (1-0, 0-0 NCAC East). First pitch from Robertson Baseball Field is set for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7.