BEREA, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace University baseball Head Coach Brian Harrison recorded his 200th career victory at the helm as the Yellow Jackets swept Capital University in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Fisher Field.
BW (23-9, 9-5 OAC) walked off in the bottom of the ninth inning to take game one over Capital (12-20, 3-11 OAC) by a score of 5-4. The Yellow Jackets then recorded their second shutout of the season with a 6-0 win in the second game to give Harrison his 200th career win.
Capital jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first but BW was able to get the runs back in the bottom half of the inning. Senior All-OAC right fielder Alex Marcum (Granville) singled home senior center fielder Chase Knodle (Poland/Seminary) while freshman shortstop Alex Ludwick (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) followed with a single up the middle to score Marcum and tie the game at 2-2. The game would remain tied until the fourth inning when Knodle hit a single up the middle to give BW a 3-2 lead. The Crusaders would regain the lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run single and held a 4-3 lead until the bottom of the ninth.
Knodle got the ninth inning started with a single to right center and advanced to second on a groundout by sophomore left fielder Dudley Taw (Sheffield Lake/Brookside). Marcum then doubled home Knodle to tie the game at 4-4 while senior All-OAC second baseman Spencer Badia (Bellaire) knocked in the winning run with a single to right center.
Marcum led the Yellow Jackets at the plate with a 4-for-5 day with one double and 2 runs batted in. Ludwick and Knodle each had three hits and an RBI while senior All-OAC catcher Trent Kaltenbach (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) knocked in two hits.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Michael Hubert (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) got the nod for his second start of the season as he went 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits and one walk. Junior left-handed pitcher Jack Raines (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) threw 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just two hits and two walks and recording four strikeouts as he picks up the win.
Riding the momentum from the walk off, the Yellow Jackets put up four runs in the third inning. Knodle hit a two-run single up the middle while Marcum followed with a sacrifice fly and Badia with a single to center field. BW would only add to its lead with RBI singles from Badia and Marcum in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, sending Harrison to his 200th career win.
Badia was the only Yellow Jacket to record multiple hits in the second game with his two RBI singles. Marcum and Knodle also added two RBIs apiece.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Jeremy McClure (Mentor) recorded his first collegiate win after a six-inning, four-hit performance in which he worked himself out of multiple jams. Senior right-handed pitcher Nick Patrone (Bellaire) pitched three innings of scoreless relief, only allowing two hits as he earned his first save of the season.
BW will be back in action on Tuesday, April 24, when the Yellow Jackets travel to Washington, Pennsylvania, for a single non-conference game with Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College at 6 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.
