RIVER FOREST, Ill. – After a rain delay that halted the seventh inning, the Baldwin Wallace University baseball team returned to Cougar Field on Sunday morning to defeat host, Concordia (Ill.) University of Chicago, 10-8 to advance to the NCAA Division lll Regional Title Game.
BW (27-15) advances to the title game after plating 10 runs off 13 hits. Three runs were plated in the fifth, two in the sixth, four to take the lead in the seventh, and one insurance run in the eighth to secure the 10-8 victory. Concordia (39-8) scored eight runs off 17 hits.
The offense was led by junior left fielder Jacob Bonner (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) as he went 3-for-4 with three runs batted-in(RBI), including a two-run single in the seventh to give BW a 7-6 lead, and also scored a run. Senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference first baseman Philip Wells (Buffalo, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate) went 3-for-4 with a two-run double, scored three runs and stole a base in the eighth that led to a run. Sophomore All-OAC shortstop Alex Ludwick (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) went 2-for-5 with a two-run homerun in the sixth, his first of the year, and scored two runs. Senior All-OAC second baseman Kyle Pennington (Wadsworth) marked one hit, scored a run, and stole a base while junior designated hitter Sam Sustersic (Richfield/Revere) also scored a run and hit a double. Junior Academic All-OAC center fielder Brandon Dim (Solon) produced one hit and a run scored while senior two-time Academic All-OAC right fielder Reese Albright (Parma/North Royalton) scored a run. Senior All-OAC catcher Asa Adams (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) tallied two hits.
Sophomore All-OAC pitcher right-handed pitcher Nick Smith (Mentor) got the start and tossed five innings where he allowed six runs off 10 hits and struck out four. Freshman righty Garrett Miller (McMurray) was in relief and he dealt two innings of no-run baseball, struck out one and allowed two hits en route to his third win on the season. Senior All-OAC left-handed pitcher Jack Raines (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) earned his sixth save of the season after two innings of work where he let up two runs off five hits and struck out two.
BW is set to play in the Regional Title game where they will play the winner of the Buena Vista (Iowa) University and Concordia University of Chicago game. First pitch is scheduled at 2:30 p.m CDT/3:30 EST.
