BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team lost a doubleheader to non-league foe Malone University today (Wednesday, April 22, 2009) at Heritage Field in Berea. The Pioneers won the first game, 13-12, and captured the nightcap, 6-5, in extra innings. The twinbill was scheduled as two seven-inning games, but the nightcap last nine frames.

 

B-W is now 16-15 overall and next plays tomorrow when it travels to Oberlin, Ohio to play traditional rival Oberlin College in a single, nine-inning non-league game at 4:00 p.m. With the sweep, Malone is now 34-10 overall.

 

In the first game, Malone jumped out to 2-0 lead in top of the first inning with a pair of runs before B-W answered back with five runs of its own in the bottom of the first and three more runs in the second to take an 8-2 advantage.  The Pioneers fought back with four runs in the third and one more in the fourth to close the gap to 8-7.  The Yellow Jackets tallied a run in the bottom of the fourth and another in the fifth for a brief 10-7 lead before Malone struck back with five unanswered runs in the sixth to take a 12-10 lead.  B-W plated one in the sixth to get within a run at 12-11, but the Pioneers answered back with a run in the top of the seventh to lead 13-11.  B-W scored one in the bottom of the seventh but it was not enough to avert defeat.

 

Despite the loss, senior ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America centerfielder Cody Kidd (Wellington)set the a BW record for career triples with his 12th three-bagger in the first game.

 

In addition offensively, junior leftfielder Ted Cowling (Streetsboro) went three-for-three with a double, two runs scored and three runs batted-in. Also, senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference first baseman Riley Kreisher (Ashtabula/ Edgewood), senior RF Mike Brisky (Berea), junior designated hitter/ 2B Scott Nealon (Avon Lake), junior 2B Matt Rollins (Walbridge/ Millbury Lake) and Kidd each had two hits.

 

On the mound, senior righthander Jim Palko (Euclid) started and pitched the first five and one-third innings. He allowed ten runs (seven earned), struck out four and walked four.  Junior righthander Bo Boveington (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) relieved Palko and took the loss to go to 0-1.  Boveington allowed three runs (one earned) in one and on-third innings.  Freshman Chris Sauber (Tiffin/ Columbian) retired the only batter he faced in his first career outing.

 

In the second game, the Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. BW closed the deficit to 2-1 in the second when junior OF/P Chris Nealon (Avon Lake) drove home Boveington. Then the Yellow Jackets tied the game in the fifth at 2-2 and it eventually went into extra innings. Malone took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth. Undaunted, BW again rallied to tie it at 3-3 with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame when Chris Nealon knocked home his brother, Scott Nealon, who pinch-hit for Boveington. Malone then broke the game open and earned the sweep with a three-run ninth. Again undaunted, B-W scored twice and left the bases loaded to end the game.

 

Offensively, Boveington, Chris Nealon, Scott Nealon and junior 2B Ed Michalski (Cranberry Twp., Pa./. Seneca Valley) each had a pair of base hits. In addition, Michalski had an RBI, Boveington scored a run and had a double, Chris Nealon had a career-high three RBI and Scott Nealon scored twice and was two-of-two at the plate.

 

On the mound, junior righthander Scott Luthman (Celina) started and pitched the first five innings. He allowed five hits, two runs (one earned) and struck out one. He was followed to the mound by freshman Jono Susini (Twinsburg) who pitched the next three and one-third innings and was tagged with the loss to fall to 0-1 overall. He allowed five hits, four runs (all earned) and walked two. Freshman Chris Terlop (Strongsville) then relieved Susini and got the final two outs.

 

Following its game at Oberlin tomorrow, BW ends this week by travelling to Marietta, Ohio on Saturday, April 25 for an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Marietta College at 12:00 noon.

 

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.