Wooster Wraps Up Weekend Series in Georgia

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The College of Wooster baseball team dropped 8-4 and 9-3 games at Covenant College to conclude a three-game weekend series on Saturday.

Wooster (1-4) claimed a 1-0 and 3-2 lead in the day's opening game. Senior shortstop Nick Pett led off the first inning with a walk and moved to third on junior first baseman Ryan Kramer's double. Sophomore third baseman Zack Barienbrock plated Pett for the game's first run.

In the second inning, junior catcher Colin Leslie reached due to being hit and motored all the way around the bases when first-year second baseman Luke Rizzo roped a double.

A three-run third inning gave Covenant (5-1) the lead. Covenant received RBI doubles from Elliott Eastin and Cole Akins, while the third run scored on a wild-pitch strikeout. Wooster escaped further damage, as junior pitcher Tahj Orona struck out Hudson Couch to leave the bases full of Scots.

Fine defense came from Kramer in the fourth inning, as the junior snared a liner for an inning-ending unassisted double play. Wooster's pitching was solid down the stretch, as junior Cooper Baer and first-year James MacMillan kept the Scots scoreless with three innings of one-hit shutout baseball. Baer struck out four in his two innings of work.

Scotty Smith (2-0) started for Covenant and allowed three runs on three hits in five innings. Ethan Goebert went the rest of the way for the save, allowing an unearned run on four hits in four innings. Junior Devin Anthony started for Wooster and allowed six runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Wooster tied the nightcap at one in the fifth inning. Sophomore left fielder Andrew Kerr stole second after being hit by a pitch. He scored on senior center fielder Leo Widtmann's RBI base knock.

Covenant broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Ryan MacLellan delivered the big knock via a three-run homer. Kramer homered in the eighth inning for Wooster's second run of the game. Wooster's final run came courtesy of a fielding miscue by Covenant in the ninth.

First-year Dame Frayne started and pitched well. Frayne allowed a run on four hits in four innings with five strikeouts. Senior Alex Gerdenich took the loss.

Jonathan Glover won for Covenant. He went 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts.

Kramer and Rizzo both went 4-for-8 to lead Wooster. Kramer had two RBI, as did Widtmann.

Eastin led Covenant, going 5-for-10 with four RBI and two runs scored in the twin bill. Cecil ended Saturday 4-for-9 with three runs scored.

Next, Wooster heads to Washington & Jefferson College for two games on March 1 and a single game on March 2. Wooster opens the weekend against Keystone College (0-0) at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.