No. 13 Baseball Breaks Team Homerun Record, Takes Two Over Ohio Northern

Garrett Miller (photo courtesy Anna Haberstro '24)
Garrett Miller (photo courtesy Anna Haberstro '24)

BEREA, Ohio – The No. 13 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University baseball team hosted Ohio Northern University for an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader on Fisher Field. The Yellow Jackets earned 11-2 and 12-2 wins as BW broke three records during the two matchups.

Game 1 was led by freshman third baseman Sean Kolenich (Parma/St. Edward) as he went 2-4 from the plate with a homerun, two RBIs, and two runs. Junior second baseman Ryan Guggenheim (Solon) hit 3-4 with three runs, junior All-OAC first baseman Luke Vonderhaar (New Bremen) hit 3-5, and senior left fielder Bijan Kamalipour (Frisco, Texas/Jesuit College Preparatory School) notched three RBIs.

Scoring Plays

  • BW got the 2-0 jump in the bottom of the first on an ONU passed ball and an RBI double by Kolenich to score Vonderhaar (who also reached on a double)
  • A solo homerun drilled on a line-drive shot over left field by Kolenich and an RBI single by Kamalipour in the bottom of the third put BW up 4-0
  • The Yellow Jackets tallied another run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Vonderhaar
  • In the bottom of the fifth, an RBI single by Kamalipour, an RBI groundout by junior centerfielder Vincent Capolupo (Kenmore, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate), and an RBI double by senior All-OAC utility player Drew Wilson (Sagamore Hills/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) earned three runs for BW (8-0)
  • ONU hit a two-run homerun over left field to make the score 8-2 BW in the top of the sixth
  • BW tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI triple by Capolupo
  • The Yellow Jackets scored two more on an ONU wild pitch and an RBI groundout (11-2)
  • BW held the Polar Bears scoreless the rest of the way, claiming the big 11-2 win

On the Mound

  • Senior right hander Garrett Miller (McMurray, Pa.) started on the mound and earned the win (2-0), pitching six innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, and totaled six strikeouts
  • Senior right hander Steve Spidell (Mount Eaton/Waynedale) relieved, throwing two innings, allowing just one hit, and struck out three batters
  • Senior right hander Scott Kirchhoff (Toledo/Sylvania Northview) closed, throwing the ninth, tallying a strikeout

Game 2 was led by sophomore catcher Mark Mohnickey, Jr (North Ridgeville/St. Edward) and senior All-Mideast Region shortstop Alex Ludwick (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) as they each hit a homerun in the second game as the team earned the BW Team Homerun Record with 45 homeruns, surpassing the 2018 team who totaled 43. Ludwick, is his first at-bat of game two, garnered the BW Career Singles Record. He has now hit 169 career singles, surpassing Mark Zimmerman during his 2013-16 career.

Scoring Plays

  • ONU got the 1-0 jump on a BW error in the second
  • An RBI groundout and a two-run homerun to straight-away center field by Mohnickey earned three runs for BW in the bottom of the inning
  • In the fourth, the Yellow Jackets earned a run on an infield single by junior designated hitter Bryce Holt (Richfield/Revere) to make it 4-1 BW
  • The Polar Bears earned one in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly ball to centerfield
  • BW notched six runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run RBI single by Kamalipour and a three-run double by Wilson (10-2)
  • In the bottom of the sixth, the Yellow Jackets notched a run on a sacrifice fly ball by Mohnickey to score Kolenich (11-2)
  • The Yellow Jackets earned another run on Ludwick's solo homerun over right field in the seventh inning, and went on to claim the 12-2 victory

On the Mound

  • Junior right hander Nik Baldis (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) started on the mound, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing no earned runs, and tallied one strikeout
  • Senior right hander Matt Sabin (Mentor) relieved and earned the win (3-0), pitching 2.2 innings, allowing no runs on no hits, and struck out two batters
  • Right handers Wilson and Kirchhoff both threw an inning, allowing no hits and no runs, and combined for three strikeouts 

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, April 23 as the team travels to Alliance to face the University of Mount Union in another OAC doubleheader. The first game against the Purple Raiders is set to begin at 1:00 p.m., with the second game to follow on Rafeld-Rogers Field.