APPLETON, Wis. --  The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team lost to 2013 Division III runner-up Southern Maine, 11-5,  in its third and final game at the 2014 NCAA Division III World Series on Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. This was BW's first-ever trip to the Division III World Series.

 

BW (30-20) ends its season with a school-record 30 wins. Southern Maine (37-14) advances to play the winner of the Cortland State (N.Y.) and Emory (Ga.) game tomorrow morning.

 

"This loss does not diminish the season we had as a team," saidfourth-year Head Coach Brian Harrison. "Our baseball student-athletes had a wonderful season and achieved a great deal of success. We made the school's first-ever trip to the Division III World Series.

 

"For our senior class, it was a great accomplishment and they leave BW as the winningest senior class in school history," continued Harrison, now 101-63 in his career at BW. "We appreciate their hard work, effort and dedication to the program.

 

"For our freshmen, sophomores and juniors, we hope they utilize this experience as the springboard for future success," said Harrison. "We return a solid group of veterans and our goals are still the same – to win an OAC title and an NCAA Division III national championship."

 

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Junior All-American first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North) drew a walk and stole second base. Then, when Southern Maine was trying to employ a defensive shift against BW sophomore designated hitter Hunter Handel (Akron/ Green), Chontos alertly took off and stole third base. Handel's grounder scored Chontos in a close play at home plate.

 

BW gained a 2-0 advantage in the second when junior shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Midpark) singled and scored on a double by sophomore left fielder Jerry Scholle (Hinckley/Medina Highland) doubled him home.  After Scholle stole third base, the lead increased to 3-0 when junior All-OAC right fielder Alex Green (Pickerington/ North) hit a sacrifice fly.

 

Southern Maine grabbed a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning on five hits and two walks. The Huskies drove Yellow Jacket sophomore starter Logan Heffernan (Lebanon) from the game. Sophomore All-OAC second baseman/ relief pitcher Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green).

 

BW closed to within 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth when Scholle doubled and scored on a single by Green.

 

Southern Maine scored four more times in the top of the seventh to gain a 9-4 lead. The Huskies did it with four base hits, two walks and a Yellow Jacket throwing error. BW countered with a run in the bottom of the seventh when junior pinch-hitter Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls) doubled to dead center field, stole third base and scored when the catcher's throw to third was errant.

 

Southern Maine came right back to score two more runs in the top of the eighth to build its lead to 11-5.

 

At the plate, Scholle was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, two stolen bases and a run batted-in (RBI). Murphy was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Gugliotta was 2-for-4 with a double. In addition, Green had a pair of RBI.

 

On the mound, freshman right-hander Logan Heffernan (Lebanon) started and pitched the first four and two-third innings, allowed five base hits, five runs (all earned), struck out three Huskie batters and walked two. He suffered the loss and fell to 4-4 this season.  Zimmerman pitched one and one-third innings, allowed three hits, two runs (both earned), struck out one and walked two.

 

BW then went to senior Cory Durbin (Canton/ GlenOak) who pitched one-third inning and allowed one hit. Sophomore Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) replaced Durbin and he allowed two hits and struck out one batter.

 

In the eighth, junior All-OAC righty Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) came in and walked one and allowed and base hit that resulted in two runs. He was replaced by sophomore Matt Wittels (Lyndhurst/ Brush) who finished the inning. He allowed one base hit and struck out one batter.

 

Sophomore Connor Murphy (Westford, Mass./ Northeast) started the ninth inning and retired the two batters he faced. He was replaced by senior Dylan Fodor (Twinsburg) who retired the only batter he faced.

 

The Yellow Jackets opened World Series play by beating Emory (Ga.) University, 5-4, on Friday and lost on Saturday to St. Thomas (Minn.) University, 5-4.

 

The 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 if the weather cooperates. For More NCAA Division III World Series information, stories and video from throughout the week, please log onto www.ncaa.com and/ or www.ncaachampionships.com, go to Baseball and then to Division III.

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.eduor 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/bwyellowjacketsand Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics .