BEREA, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team swept a key Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader today at Heritage Field. This was the final OAC regular season twinbill. The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 14-4, and captured the nightcap, 8-3.
It was Seniors' & Parents' Day, and senior pitcher Cory Durbin (Canton/ GlenOak) proposed to his longtime and high school girlfriend, Lindsey Lipster, after the nightcap, and she accepted! http://youtu.be/KxthdwfQ_4A
Baldwin Wallace senior pitcher Cory Durbin of Canton, Ohio, proposed to his long time girlfriend and high school sweetheart Lindsey Lipster (also a BW senior) on senior day after a Yellow Jackets victory. Spoiler Alert- she said yes. Video credit: Nolan Sordyl '15
With its sweep, BW is 22-6 overall and finishes 11-7 during the OAC regular season. With its two losses, Capital ends its season at 11-23 overall and 2-16 in the OAC.
In the first game, BW jumped out to leads of 6-0 after three innings, 9-0 after six frames and 14-0 until the Crusaders scored four runs (one earned) in the top of the ninth to secure the win. The Yellow Jackets outhit Capital, 17-4.
At the plate for BW, four student-athletes, senior two-time CAPITAL ONE Academic All-District 7 third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg), junior All-OAC first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North), junior shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) and junior All-OAC rightfielder Alex Green (Pickerington/ North) each had two hits. Gugliotta, also an All-OAC and Academic All-OAC player, was 2-for-5 with three runs batted-in (RBI). Chontos was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Murphy was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double, two RBI and a sacrifice fly. Green was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of doubles.
On the mound for the Yellow Jackets, sophomore right-hander Alex Albright (North Royalton) pitched the first six innings and earned his team-leading fifth victory this season to improve to 5-2 overall. He allowed just two Crusader base hits, did not allow a run, struck out one and walked one. Senior Jon Capadona (North Royalton) followed Albright to the mound and pitched three innings, allowed two hits and four runs (one earned) and struck out two. He earned his first career save.
In the second game, the Crusaders jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. BW scored four times in the bottom of the third to take a 4-1 lead. Capital cut the deficit to 4-2 with a tally in the fifth. The Jackets pushed their lead to 6-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth. The lead grew to 8-2 with two more runs in the sixth. Capital finished the scoring off in the top of the ninth scoring one run.
At the plate, BW was led by Chontos and sophomore first baseman Hunter Handel (Akron/ Green). Chontos was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two doubles and two RBI. Handel was 3-for-5 with a run scored, double and three RBI. In addition, Gugliotta and senior catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg) each had a pair of base hits. Gugliotta was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a double. Hiller was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double.
On the mound for the Yellow Jackets, senior right-hander Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) started and tied Albright for the team lead in wins with five and is 5-0 this season. He pitched seven innings, allowed five hits, two runs (both earned), struck out three and walked two. Sophomore Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) came on in the eighth and pitched the final two innings. He allowed two base, one run (earned) hits and no runs and walked one.
In terms of the OAC Tournament next weekend, BW has to wait to see what happens tomorrow with both the John Carroll University and Ohio Northern University doubleheaders. If Heidelberg University beats ONU in Ada once tomorrow, BW earns a spot in the tourney. If ONU beats the Student Princes twice and JCU splits its games with Muskingum at JCU, it would create a three-way tie.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
