AKRON, Ohio – The College of Wooster baseball team took on the University of Mount Union as part of Wednesday's Elementary School Day hosted by the Akron RubberDucks, the Cleveland Guardians' AA affiliate. Mount Union bested Wooster 4-2 at Canal Park.
Wooster's (13-19) defense kept the Fighting Scots in Wednesday's game. Senior shortstop Eli Westrick started an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the second inning. In the third, first-year third baseman Zack Barienbrock fielded a grounder off the bat of Brycen Fox and threw Alex Stegman out at the plate. The fourth inning saw sophomore catcher Nathaniel Huxtable catch Stegman trying to steal second base for the final out of the inning. The stellar defense continued in the fifth when Huxtable nailed another Purple Raider (24-10) trying to swipe a bag.
Later, a grounder off the bat of top Mount Union hitter Zack Mazza found its way to Barienbrock in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. The first-year infielder fired home to classmate Sam Calcut in time for the force out, then first-year right-hander Isaiah Vance struck out Jaired Lehman to leave the bases loaded.
Wooster scored first, thanks to a bunch of walks in the third inning. Left fielder John Panstares, Huxtable, and Westrick walked to load the bases before sophomore first baseman Ryan Kramer's sacrifice fly scored Panstares. The seventh inning saw Panstares lift a sacrifice fly out to right field to drive in junior right fielder Alex Gerdenich, who legged out a one-out triple.
First-year Constantine Vernadakis worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to lead Wooster's pitchers. Vance finished with two innings of no-hit relief, during which the first-year struck out three. Senior Corey Knauf worked an inning at the start and struck out two in his scoreless frame, while sophomore Cooper Baer worked a scoreless second inning.
Leo Fornara moved to 5-2 for Mount Union, while Chuck Hawley earned the four-inning save. Wooster sophomore Sammy De Maio fell to 2-4.
Stegman was the only player in the game with multiple hits.
Next, Wooster (3-9 North Coast Athletic Conference) heads to Hiram College (13-18, 2-8 NCAC) for a noon doubleheader on Saturday, April 27.