BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Cleveland cross-town and OAC rival John Carroll University today (Saturday, March 28) at Heritage Field in Berea. The Yellow Jackets won the opener, 13-5, and JCU captured the nightcap, 7-3.

 

With its split, the Yellow Jackets are now 7-9 overall and 1-3 in the OAC while JCU is 11-5 overall and 2-2 in the OAC.

 

In the first game, B-W jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a single run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second. JCU came back to tie the score at 3-3 with a three-run top of the fourth. Undaunted, the Jackets scored seven times in the bottom of the fourth for a 10-3 advantage. Each team scored in the fifth to make the score 11-4 and following a JCU run in the sixth, B-W closed the scoring with two more in the sixth.

 

Offensively, the Yellow Jackets outhit the Blue Streaks, 17-10. Senior Academic All-American centerfielder Cody Kidd (Wellington), senior All-OAC first baseman Riley Kreisher (Ashtabula/ Edgewood) and senior two-time Academic All-OAC rightfielder Mike Brisky (Berea) each had three hits. Kidd also scored four runs, had a double and reached base in each of his five plate appearances. Kreisher scored twice and had a career-high five runs batted-in. Brisky scored twice and had an RBI. In addition, junior LF Ben Stoper (Medina/ Senior), junior shortstop Jimmy Martin (Euclid) and senior 3B Jake Gross (West Farmington/ Warren Champion) each had two hits. Martin and Gross each had a pair of RBI.

 

On the mound, senior righthanded pitcher Brandon Fredericks (Copley/ Revere) started and worked five and two-third innings to gain his first win of the season against three losses. He allowed 10 hits, five runs (four earned), struck out three and walked four. Junior righty Scott Luthman (Celina) relieved Fredericks in the sixth and pitched one and one-third innings of hitless baseball and struck out two Blue Streaks to close the door on JCU.

 

In the second game, B-W took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning.  JCU then scored the next seven runs and led 7-1 after eight and one-half innings. In the bottom of the ninth, B-W plated three runs and had the bases loaded with two out, but JCU got the final two outs to keep B-W from the sweep.

 

Offensively, B-W had just four hits in the second game and got outhit, 15-4. On the mound, sophomore rightyJustin Novak (Strongsville) started and threw the first seven and one-third innings and took his first loss of the season to fall to 2-1 overall. He allowed 13 hits, six runs (five earned) with two whiffs and one walk. He was followed to the hill by junior Chris Nealon (Avon Lake), who finished the eighth, and freshman Jon Connolly (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark), who pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

 

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, March 31 when they host traditional rival Case Western Reserve University at 4:00 p.m. at Heritage Field and then host number seven-ranked The College of Wooster on Thursday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at (440) 826-2327 and via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at (440) 826-2780 and via e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu.  To contact Head Coach Bob Fisher, please call him at (440) 826-2182 in his office and e-mail him at rfisher@bw.edu.  More information may be accessed on the B-W athletics page atwww.bw.edu/athletics.