WOOSTER, Ohio – Well-placed bunts and pure speed gave The College of Wooster baseball team the edge it needed to turn away Wabash College in a 9-4 game-one win, then the Fighting Scots ran out of steam in the 11th inning, enabling the Little Giants to claim the nightcap 8-4 on Saturday at Art Murray Field.
Junior shortstop Grant Mitchell's bunt single kick started the Scots' (16-20-1, 11-5 North Coast Athletic Conference) five-run eighth inning. Wabash could not get to first-year center fielder John Panstares' bunt in time to get the speedster at first base, and when the throw went wide, Mitchell was standing 90 feet from home with the go-ahead run. First-year first baseman Ryan Kramer, who broke up Wabash's no-hitter in the sixth inning, plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly that made it 5-4. Five straight hits followed, including RBI singles from sophomore designated hitter Leo Widtmann and sophomore third baseman Nick Pett, who plated two when he pulled a ball through the right side that made it 8-4. Senior catcher Riley McErlean's double fell in right field with the infield drawn in, and the run-scoring poke upped Wooster's lead to 9-4.
Wooster quietly scored in the second inning for the game's first run. Senior right fielder Dean Brown walked, moved to second on a ground out, and scored when shortstop Benjamin Henke unloaded a wild throw when trying to retire senior left fielder Jack Whitehouse on a grounder.
Wooster retook the lead with a three-run sixth that made it 4-1. Wabash (23-15, 7-7 NCAC) starter Jacob Bishop, who was working on a no-no, walked the bases full of Scots before Kramer ripped a two-run single to right field. Next, Widtmann was too fast for Wabash on a bunt, beating the throw out with Panstares darting home on the play to make it 4-1.
Wabash turned to the long ball to tie the game at four in the seventh inning. Michael Galanos led off the frame with a solo shot, while three batters later, Liam Patton lifted his fifth homer of the year over the fence in left center.
Ian Leon earned the senior day start and sent the Little Giants back to the dugout in order in his inning of work. Senior Owen Barnard was charged with an unearned run in three innings of work, senior Ryan Sullivan allowed three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings, then senior Ethan Samangy (3-0) kept the Little Giants scoreless in his 1 2/3 innings on the hill. Senior Christian Johnston bent but did not break in the ninth inning en route to posting a scoreless frame.
Sam Phillips (3-1) took his first loss of the year after allowing five runs on seven hits in two innings.
Defensively, McErlean cut down Kamden Early, who tried to steal second base in the second inning. Westrick was waiting right there and Early slid right into the tag. Kramer was in position for hot liner off Will Phillips' bat in the fourth inning, while Westrick started an inning-ending two-for-one special to get the Scots out of the seventh inning.
In the nightcap, Whitehouse's rip up the middle with two outs in the seventh inning backed up Brown's leadoff double off the fence in left field. Brown's run marked Wooster's first of the game and had the Scots within 3-1. Westrick followed with a double down the left field line, but Gavin Pierson struck out Mitchell to get out of the jam.
Caleb Everson had a strong straight for the Little Giants, fanning 11 Scots in his 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six straight Wooster batters before first-year catcher Colin Leslie had enough and roped a single into center field to lead off the third inning.
Wabash scored first on Will Phillips' RBI single in the first inning. In the eighth, Widtmann tracked down Earley's foul ball up against the fence down the left field line. However, the sacrifice fly off the bat of Wabash's right fielder padded the lead back to three at 4-1.
Wooster roared back in the eighth inning, tying the game at four. Pierson hit Panstares and issued a walk to Kramer. Then, Widtmann's RBI single halved Wabash's lead before Brown welcomed Braeden Bryant back to the bump with an RBI single to left. Later, Whitehouse tied the game with an opposite-field single on a Bryant 2-2 offering.
After a scoreless 10th inning, a trio of Wooster pitchers struggled with command during Wabash's four-run 11th. Six walks helped the Little Giants do all the damage in an inning where a hit was not recorded.
Sophomore Alex Gerdenich (0-5) was sharp with scoreless ninth and 10th innings before getting charged with the first two runs to score in the 11th. First-year Devin Anthony started and allowed one run on three hits in three innings before exiting with the short week ahead with the NCAC Tournament getting underway on Thursday.
Jackson Woehr went to 3-0 with 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief work.
Whitehouse turned in a memorable senior day, leading Wooster with four hits (4-for-9) on the afternoon. Westrick regularly set the table atop Wooster's lineup, reaching base safely seven times in 11 trips to the dish.
Patton was the thorn in Wooster's side, going 5-for-7 with a .714/.818/1.429 slash line. He had four RBI, scored three times, clubbed two doubles, and hit a homer.
Wooster, which clinched a spot in the upcoming four-team NCAC Tournament, concludes the regular season with a 1 p.m. home game on Sunday against seventh-ranked Baldwin Wallace University (30-8).