TIFFIN, Ohio -- The ninth-ranked (March 15 D3baseball.com Division III national poll) Baldwin Wallace University baseball team lost twice to No.20-ranked Heidelberg University in its 2015 Ohio Athletic Conference opening doubleheader at Peaceful Valley Field. The Student Princes won the opener, 2-0, and captured the nightcap, 6-3
With its two losses, BW fell to 8-2 overall and 0-2 in the OAC. Heidelberg improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the OAC.
In the first game, Heidelberg won, 2-0, and gave BW its first loss of the season. The Student Princes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a walk, single and a fielder's choice on a first-and-third situation. With Heidelberg runners at first and third base, its runner from first broke for second and BW tried to get the third out of the inning at second base, but the HU runner on third came home before the third out was recorded. HU scored its final run in the eighth on a double and a triple.
At the plate, senior All-OAC shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/Midpark) led the way with three base hits, including a double, and senior Division III All-American first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North) had a pair of base hits, including his .
On the mound, junior two-time All-OAC second baseman/ right-handed pitcher Mark Zimmerman (Akron/Green) started and pitched four and one-third innings and suffered the loss to fall to 1-1 this season. He allowed six base hits, one run (earned), struck out three Heidelberg hitters and walked four. He was followed to the mound by junior righty Alex Albright (North Royalton) who pitched three and two-third innings, allowed four hits, one run (earned) and struck out five Student Princes.
In the second game, Heidelberg gained a 2-0 lead on back-to-back doubles and a single in the bottom of the fourth. The Student Princes increased their lead to 5-0 with three runs in the fifth and to 6-0 with another in the sixth.
BW cut the Heidelberg lead in half in the top of the seventh inning with three runs. The key hit was a 2-run single by senior All-OAC left fielder Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls).
At the plate, Ferster was the only Yellow Jacket to have more than one hit as he was 4-for-5 with a pair of runs batted-in.
On the mound, senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC right-hander Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) pitched the first four and one-third innings and suffered the loss to fall to 2-1 this season. He allowed nine base hits, five runs (all earned), struck out four and walked three. He was followed to the mound by freshman left-hander Evan Lovick (Mentor) who pitched one and two-third innings, allowed three hits, one unearned run and walked one. Junior righty Connor Murphy (Westford, Mass./Northeast) pitched a spotless seventh inning and junior "stopper" Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) pitched the eighth and allowed just one hit.
The Yellow Jackets return to action on Tuesday, March 24 when BW opens its home schedule against Allegheny (Pa.) College with a doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. at Heritage Field. After a trip to Ohio Wesleyan University on Wednesday, March 25, BW hosts 18th-ranked Marietta College on Saturday, March 28 in a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
