Gbur Homers in Fourth Straight Game as Scots, Gators Split in Meadville

The College of Wooster baseball team's longball barrage continued on Wednesday afternoon, while the Fighting Scots' fielding miscues led to a big inning for the opposition once again, with host Allegheny College winning game one 6-4 before the Black & Gold rallied to win the nightcap 10-6 at Robertson Baseball Field in Meadville, Pa.

Wooster (9-5, 4-2 North Coast Athletic Conference East Division) junior center fielder Ben Gbur continued his offensive surge with a homer in a fourth consecutive game in the nightcap. That three-run, third-inning blast enabled Wooster to overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Prior to Gbur's piece, junior catcher Alex Gasper singled up the middle, as did senior second baseman Gabe Sherman. Junior right fielder Ben Hines beat out a bunt, with Gasper cutting Wooster's deficit in half, as he scored on the Gators' Luke Chutko's throwing error. Sophomore first baseman Dane Camphausen followed up Gbur's team-leading seventh homer of the year with his third, with that dinger capping Wooster's five-run inning.

In the fifth, Wooster overcame a 6-5 deficit when junior left fielder Dominic Stilliana blasted a two-run homer out to right center. The Scots' communication studies major was dialed in an inning later, as he timed up an offering from sophomore Chase Chodkowsk for a three-run blast. Stilliana's fourth homer of the year opened up a 10-6 lead for the Scots.

Senior right-hander Jay DiBacco picked up his NCAC-leading fourth win of the year. The Scots' No. 2 starter allowed six runs in four innings of work. Juniors Dylan Carr and Mitchell Reardon kept the Gators at bay down the stretch with three scoreless innings, with Reardon working out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Stilliana went 4-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored in the nightcap, and he's the second Scot with six multi-hit games on the year. Sherman added three hits out of the nine hole for his first multi-hit showing of the year.

Allegheny (4-1, 1-1 NCAC East Division), which had its four-game winning streak snapped in the nightcap, was led by Dalton Dubois, who hit a two-run homer in the third inning. Garrett Senchur (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on a hit in one-third of an inning.

Hits were at a premium for Wooster in the series opener with Conor Deasy and Daniel Morgano holding the Scots to just five. However, two of those left the park, with Gbur getting ahold of a Deasy offering for a two-run shot in the second, while junior catcher Michael Thomas led off the third with a solo blast that put the Scots up 4-1.

In the fifth, Sherman walked, stole second, and scored on Hines' opposite-field double, but come the bottom of the frame, Allegheny capitalized on three Wooster errors to the tune of a five-run inning, which pushed the hosts on top 6-4.

Wooster was poised to answer back in the sixth, with the Scots loading the bases with one out before Morgano worked out of the jam, thanks to a pair of strikeouts.

Senior Evan Faxon (1-1), who worked one-two-three third and fourth innings, took the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Scots' lefty did have seven strikeouts.

Gbur led the offense with a 1-for-2 showing with a walk and run scored.

Chutko did his job as the Gators' table-setter with a 3-for-4 start with two runs and an RBI out of the leadoff spot. Deasy (1-0) picked up the win after allowing four runs on four hits in five innings, while Morgano collected the save with two scoreless innings of relief.

The two teams are set to meet again on Saturday, April 10 at Wooster's Art Murray Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.