DELAWARE, Ohio – The College of Wooster baseball team stormed back from a 5-3 loss to take Sunday's nightcap against Ohio Wesleyan University 16-4 in seven innings at Littick Field.
Wooster (13-8, 3-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) scored in what turned into the final six innings of Sunday's twin bill. First-year second baseman Nick Pett's third-inning single through the right side of the infield held up as the go-ahead run. That brought in senior right fielder Ben Hines, who led off the inning with a double.
After senior designated hitter Alex Gasper walked, sophomore third baseman Jack Henderson padded the lead and did his job to make sure Pett's go-ahead knock would hold up. The right-hander hammered his third home run of the week down the left field line, and this one was a three-run shot.
Senior catcher Michael Thomas, who homered in Sunday's opener, knocked out his second solo shot of the day in the fourth inning, and the Scots broke the game wide open on Hines' two-run homer that made it 8-1 later in the frame.
Wooster kept adding to its lead, with it reaching 11-1 in the fifth on Hines' sacrifice fly. Prior to that, senior center fielder Ben Gbur brought in Gasper and senior left fielder Dominic Stilliana on a two-run double.
Two more sacrifice flies, one each by Thomas and Stilliana, an RBI single by junior first baseman Dane Camphausen, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch with Gasper at the dish helped Wooster comfortably push the game to an early run-rule conclusion.
Sophomore Eli Westrick improved to 2-0 on the year. The right-hander allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings of work. Junior Christian Johnston and Gbur each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Westrick worked out of a first-inning jam, thanks to a strikeout, throw out double play.
Michael Lipscomb went to 1-3 on the year after giving up eight runs (seven earned) on six hits in three innings.
Wooster was the unfortunate victim of three double plays in Sunday's opener, including in the eighth inning when senior shortstop Tyler Chumita was cut down at the plate by Ohio Wesleyan right fielder Edrick Padilla.
Earlier in the opener, Thomas tied the game at one with a third-inning solo home run to left field. Ohio Wesleyan answered right back in the bottom of the frame, and opened a 4-1 lead on Lucas Stetter's two-run homer.
Wooster was within 4-3 on Stilliana's solo home run in the seventh. An inning prior, Westrick, who was the designated hitter, made it 4-2 on a two-out RBI double that split the gap in right center.
Just as it did in the third inning, Ohio Wesleyan answered Wooster come the bottom of the seventh. Padilla, the eighth-inning hero, deposited an RBI single into left field.
Senior Mitchell Reardon (2-4) took the loss. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Sophomore Corey Knauf went the rest of the way, allowing a run on three hits.
Gavin Pulliam (3-2) struck out five during his 6 1/3 innings of work. He allowed three runs on six hits. Jason Monos (save 1) kept the Scots off the board in his 2 2/3 innings of relief work.
Hines went 3-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored on the day. Camphausen's four hits led Wooster, while Stilliana's four RBI were the most among the Scots' lineup.
Stetter was 4-for-6 with a homer and two RBI to lead OWU's lineup.
Next, Case Western Reserve University (14-13) visits Art Murray Field for a 4 p.m. game on Wednesday, April 13.