BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Heidelberg University today (Saturday, April 18) at Peaceful Valley Field in Tiffin, winning the first game 6-5, before dropping the nightcap, 19-8.

 

B-W is now 16-13 overall and 7-7 in the OAC and has won 14 of its last 21 games. With the split, Heidelberg moves to 26-6 overall and 11-3 in the OAC.

 

In the first game, the Student Princes jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. B-W took a 3-1 lead with a three-run third inning, increased its advantage to 5-1 with two more runs in the fourth and led 6-1 with another tally in the fifth.  The Student Princes responded by scoring three times in the fifth to chase starter and winner, senior Brandon Fredericks (Akron/ Copley).  Heidelberg continued its comeback with a run in the seventh off of reliever, senior righty Jim Palko (Euclid), but it wasn't enough to overtake the Jackets.

 

Offensively, senior ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America centerfielder Cody Kidd (Wellington) and senior third baseman Jake Gross (West Farmington/ Warren Champion) each had a pair of hits. Kidd also had a double and a run batted-in, Gross had a double and scored twice and junior designated hitter Scott Nealon (Avon Lake) had a pair of RBI.

 

On the mound, Fredericks improved to 4-2 overall as he threw the first five innings, allowed nine hits and four runs (all earned) and struck out two opposing batters and walked two others. Palko earned his second save of the season as he pitched two innings, allowed one hit and one run (earned) and walked one Student Prince hitter.

 

In the second game, B-W grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before Heidelberg responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  The Yellow Jackets countered with four in the third and two in the fourth to take a 7-1 advantage.  The teams traded runs with Heidelberg scoring one in the bottom of the fourth and B-W plating one of its own in the top of the fifth to make the score 8-2.  The Student Princes would take control of the game from there, tallying one in the sixth, five in the seventh, and 10 in the eighth, to earn a split on the day.

 

Offensively, senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference first baseman Riley Kreisher (Ashtabula/ Edgewood), junior shortstop Jim Martin (Euclid) and junior outfielder Ted Cowling (Streetsboro) each had a pair of hits for the Yellow Jackets.  Kreisher drove in two runs and hit his eighth homerun of the season.  Junior catcher Matt Bush (Grafton/Midview) hit his first homerun on the season with a three-run blast in the fourth inning.

 

On the mound, junior righthander Justin Novak (Strongsville) started and went six innings allowing four runs (all earned) on eight hits.  Novak left with an 8-4 lead before five Yellow Jacket relievers gave up 15 runs in the final two innings.

 

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, April 22 when they host non-league foe Malone University in a doubleheader (two seven-inning games). The first game will start at 2:00 p.m. Also next week, B-W plays a single, nine-inning game on Thursday, April 23 at Oberlin College and end the week by travelling to Marietta College for an OAC twinbill on Saturday, April 25 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.