The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team sweeps an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader today against rival Capital University on the day of the Fisher Field Dedication ceremony. The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 23-0, and captured the nightcap, 5-2.
Before today's games, the University dedicated its baseball facility as Fisher Field, in honor of legendary Head Coach and alumnus Bob Fisher '63, who was a professor at BW for more than 40 years, coached the Yellow Jacket baseball team for 42 years and won 700 games and was the football defensive coordinator during a span in which BW won more than 300 games.
With its sweep, BW (17-17, 10-4 OAC) is tied with Otterbein University for second place in the OAC standings at 10-4. John Carroll University is fourth at 9-5. Capital (18-14, 6-8 OAC) is tied for fifth place with the University of Mount Union at 6-8 and four games to go in the OAC regular season. BW has a tie-breaker advantage over both JCU and Capital but not against Otterbein. The Jackets play Mount Union on May 4.
In the opener, the Yellow Jackets scored two in the bottom of the first inning, five in the second, three in the third, six in the seventh and seven in the eighth on their way to a route of the Crusaders.
On the mound, senior All-OAC right-hander Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green) pitched the first seven innings and improved to 6-3 overall. He allowed just four hits and no runs and struck out eight. He allowed just four Crusader base runners. Senior righty Connor Murphy (Westford, Mass./ Northeast) pitched a scoreless final two innings, allowed three hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.
At the plate, Yellow Jackets outhit the Crusaders, 21-7. Leading the way was junior shortstop Steve Montgomery (Canton/ Central Catholic) who had the best game of his career and was 5-for-5 with four runs scored, two runs batted-in (RBI) and reached base all six times he batted (once hit-by-pitch).
In addition, junior All-OAC second baseman Cole Nieto (Brunswick/ Cleveland St. Ignatius) was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Sophomore 3B Spencer Badia (Bellaire) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and two RBI, Zimmerman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, two RBI and a stolen base, junior leftfielder/ catcher Alex Marcum (Granville) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI, and junior infielder Kevin Hagen (Brecksville/ Brecksville-Broadview Hts.) came off the bench and was 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBI.
In the nightcap, BW gained a 2-0 lead in the first, increased it to 4-0 with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Capital made it 4-1 with a run in the top of the fifth, but BW responded with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Capital scored for the final time in the seventh.
On the mound, sophomore left-hander Evan Lovick (Mentor) pitched the first six and one-third innings and earned the win to improve to 2-1. He allowed seven hits and two unearned runs, struck out two and walked one. He lowered his OAC-leading ERA (earned run average) to 0.65 overall. Senior righty Alex Albright (North Royalton) pitched the final two and two-third innings to gain his first save. He allowed one hit and a walk and struck out six Crusaders.
At the plate, senior All-OAC standouts Zimmerman and first baseman Hunter Handel (Akron/ Green) led the way. Zimmerman was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Handel was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
BW is back in action on Wednesday, April 27 when the Yellow Jackets travel to Greensburg, Pennsylvania to play a single, nine-inning, non-conference game versus Pitt-Greensburg at 4 p.m. Next Saturday, April 30, BW is at OAC rival Muskingum University for an OAC Twinbill. The first game begins at 1 p.m.
The final regular season home games at Fisher Field are on Sunady, May 1, a single, nine-inning, non-conference game versus Hilbert (N.Y.) College at 4 p.m. and its final OAC doubleheader versus the University of Mount Union on Friday, May 6 at 1 p.m. The 2016 OAC Tournamet starts on Thursday, May 12 at the site of the regular season champion.
