APPLETON, Wisconsin -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team defeated Emory (Ga.) University, 5-4, today (Friday, May 23) in its first game at the 2014 NCAA Division III World Series on neuroscience group field at Fox Cities Stadium. This is BW's first-ever trip to the Div. III World Series.
With its win BW, now a school-record 30-18, plays St. Thomas (Minn.) University in a winner's bracket game tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. EST. With its loss, Emory is 34-12 overall and plays defending Div. III national champ Linfield (Ore.) tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning when sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference designated hitter Hunter Handel (Akron/ Green) led off with a single, advanced to second on a single by senior All-OAC catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg), to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by sophomore left fielder Jerry Scholle (Medina/ Highland) for a 1-0 lead. Junior shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) scored on a double play.
Emory came right back to score four runs in the bottom of the second inning to chase sophomore starting right-handed pitcher Alex Albright (North Royalton) and take a 4-2 lead.
BW tied the game 4-4 in the seventh. With one out, Murphy reached via an error, Scholle followed with a single and pinch hitter, freshman Cole Nieto (Brunswick/ Cleveland St. Ignatius) singled to load the bases. After a strike out, senior two-time All-OAC, Academic All-OAC and CAPITAL ONE Academic All-District 7 third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) singled to score Murphy and Scholle, but pinch runner Kory Gillisie (Parma/ Cleveland St. Ignatius) was thrown out at third base to end the inning.
BW grabbed a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth when sophomore two-time first-team All-OAC second baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green) doubled and scored two outs later on a Hiller single to center field.
At the plate, BW was led by Hiller, Scholle and Gugliotta with two hits each. Both Hiller and Scholle were 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Gugliotta was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted-in (RBI).
On the mound, Albright started and pitched one-plus innings, allowed six hits and four earned runs with one walk. He received a no-decision. He was followed to the mound by senior righty John Capadona (North Royalton) who pitched six innings of four-hit scoreless relief with four strikeouts. He earned the victory and improved to 5-2 this season. Sophomore "stopper" Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) entered in the eighth inning and pitched two scoreless innings of relief to collect his school-record ninth save of the season.
BW advanced to the 2014 Division III World Series and its fifth NCAA Division III national event by placing fourth during the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and second at the OAC tourney. At last week's NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament, BW defeated host Misericordia (Pa.) University, 8-4, Haverford (Pa.) College, 10-2, Susquehanna (Pa.) University, 4-1, and Wesleyan (Conn.) University, 9-7, in the championship game.
The 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 if the weather cooperates.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail atkruple@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 athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.
