Posted: Mar 29, 2015
BEREA, Ohio – The 15th-ranked (March 22 www.D3baseball.com Division III national poll) Baldwin Wallace University baseball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with No. 22-ranked Marietta College at Heritage Field.
BW (10-4, 1-3 OAC) dropped the opening game, 11-1, to the Pioneers (11-7, 2-2 OAC). The Yellow Jackets came back and won the nightcap, 9-5.
In the opening game, BW scored one run one five hits and was led by senior left fielder Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls), senior shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Midpark) sophomore second baseman Cole Nieto (Brunswick / Cleveland St. Ignatius) and freshman catcher Trent Kaltenbach (Plain City / Kettering Alter) all with one hit apiece.
On the mound, four Yellow Jackets combined to allow 11 runs (10 earned) on 10 hits. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC right-hander Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) made the start, his school career-record 59th appearance, and took the loss to fall to 2-2 this season.
In the opening game, BW scored one run one five hits and was led by senior left fielder Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls), senior shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Midpark) sophomore second baseman Cole Nieto (Brunswick / Cleveland St. Ignatius) and freshman catcher Trent Kaltenbach (Plain City / Kettering Alter) all with one hit apiece.
On the mound, four Yellow Jackets combined to allow 11 runs (10 earned) on 10 hits. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC right-hander Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) made the start, his school career-record 59th appearance, and took the loss to fall to 2-2 this season.
In game two, BW scored nine runs 10 hits and were led by the home runs from senior Division III All-American first baseman/right fielder Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North) and freshman third baseman Spencer Badia (Bellaire). Chontos went three for four with his first homer of the season, two runs scored and one run batted-in (RBI). Badia was one for three with his first career homer and three RBIs.
Chontos' three hits now give him 186 in his career and that eclipses the previous school-record of 184 by All-American and CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American Cody Kidd (2006-2009). He also had his 47th career double to tie Dan Melito's (2003-2006) for the most career two-baggers. Chontos already owns school records for career games played (145), at-bats (541) and putouts (1,047). He also owns a number of single-season marks.
In addition, sophomore pitcher/designated hitter Mark Zimmerman (Akron/Green) had two hits as he went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. Murphy added two hits as he went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIS and one run scored.
On the mound, Zimmerman was one of four Yellow Jacket pitchers and he picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-1 overall. He allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
BW is back in action on Tuesday, March 31 when it travels to Cleveland for a non-conference game with cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University at Nobby's Ballpark. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
