Wooster's Late Rally Comes Up Short

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster baseball team had its home opener on Sunday and was swept by State University of New York Brockport 11-5 and 14-9 at Art Murray Field. 

Wooster (1-7) tied Sunday's opener at three in the fourth. Senior designated hitter Nick Pett laced a triple to right center that scored sophomore third baseman Zack Barienbrock, who reached on an error. An RBI double from junior catcher Nathaniel Huxtable and an RBI single through the left side of the infield off the bat of first-year shortstop Maanav Bhatt knotted the game at three. 

Brockport (7-0) reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning. Josh Index had the go-ahead RBI knock, and it came on a triple to left field. 

Four homers were hit in game one, three by Brockport, and one by senior center fielder Leo Widtmann, who turned on an inside pitch in the ninth for a two-run shot to right field. 

Junior Devin Anthony (0-3) took the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Zach Eldred ran his record to 2-0. Eldred allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. 

Wooster was within 5-2 in the nightcap. A Brockport error aided the Fighting Scots in the fourth inning. Consecutive singles from Pett, Huxtable, and Bhatt resulted in the first run when Golden Eagle shortstop Timothy Venditti one-hopped a throw past first baseman Matthew Coon's glove. An RBI ground out from sophomore designated hitter Tamlin Ferguson scored Huxtable.  

Wooster scored again in the seventh inning. First-year shortstop David Guldin walked and scored when senior right fielder Alex Gerdenichroped a double to the fence in center field. Widtmann placed a single into center field to knock in Gerdenich and pull Wooster within 10-4. Gerdenich added a two-out RBI single to right in the eighth. Widtmann followed with a two-run triple into the right field corner that made it 13-8. It was a four-run game when junior first baseman Ryan Kramer's single fell in front of left fielder Kyle Blake. 

Huxtable's defense erased a pair of Brockport runners in the first. He caught Frank Vanzillotta trying to steal second base, then threw out Index trying to advance to second on what would have been a wild pitch. 

First-year Dame Frayne (0-1) took the loss. Five of the six runs charged to the right-hander were unearned. He struck out six in five innings of work. Angelo Argo(1-0) was the victor after allowing two unearned runs on three hits in five innings. 

Widtmann was Wooster's top bat, finishing 3-for-9 with five RBI, a homer, and a triple. 

Jason Story went 5-for-8 with right RBI, seven runs, and a pair of homers in the doubleheader. 

Next, Chatham University (6-6) visits Art Murray Field for a 3 p.m. game on Tuesday, March 11. 

photo by Nick Bostic '26