BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with rival Ohio Northern University today (Saturday, April 4, 2009) at Wander Field in Ada. The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 8-4, but lost in the nightcap, 2-0.

 

The split evens B-W's  record to 10-10 overall and 2-4 in the OAC.  The Yellow Jackets have also won six out of their last eight games. ONU is now 11-10 overall and 2-2 in the OAC.

 

In the first game, B-W took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and ONU tied it at 1-1 with a run of its own in the bottom of the first. The Yellow Jackets then gained a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the third and increased the lead to 4-1 with another in the fifth. ONU then came right back with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the fifth to tie it at 4-4. Undaunted, B-W broke the game open with four tallies in the sixth and then held the Polar Bears scoreless in their final two at-bats.

 

Offensively, the Yellow Jackets outhit the Polar Bears, 11-5. Leading the way was junior second baseman Matt Rollins (Walbridge/ Uniontown Lake) with three hits in four at-bats, including a double and two runs batted-in. In addition, senior two-time All-OAC first baseman Riley Kreisher(Ashtabula/ Edgewood) stayed hot and was two-of-three with a pair of RBI, senior ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-American centerfielder Cody Kidd (Wellington) had two hits including a three-run triple in the four-run sixth to break the game open in the sixth. Senior two-time Academic All-OAC rightfielder Mike Brisky (Berea) also had two hits.

 

On the mound, senior righthanded pitcher Brandon Fredericks (Akron/ Copley) started and pitched the first six innings to gain the win, his second this season. He improved o 2-3 overall.  Fredricks allowed five hits and four runs (one earned) and struck out five opposing batters and walked four. He was relieved in the seventh by junior righty Brian Boveington (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) who tossed a scoreless inning and struck out one.

 

In the second game, the Polar Bears tallied a single run in each of the bottom of the first and fourth innings and were able to stave of B-W for the win.

 

Offensively, junior second baseman Scott Nealon (Avon Lake), junior outfielder/pitcher Chris Nealon (Avon Lake) and senior third baseman Jake Gross (West Farmington/ Warren Champion) each tallied hits.  As a team, BW stole five bases, including two from Kidd who has a team-high 15 thefts, and one each from Scott Nealon, junior leftfielder Ben Stoper (Medina/ Senior) and Brisky.

 

On the mound, junior righthander Justin Novak (Strongsville) started and pitched all eight innings, surrendered just two runs on five hits and struck out three batters without issuing a free pass.

 

This week, the Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, April 8 when they travel to Westerville, Ohio and play Otterbein College at 1:00 p.m., travel to University Circle to play Cleveland cross-town and non-league rival Case Western Reserve University on Thursday, April 9 at 4:00 p.m. and end the week at home on Saturday, April 11 by hosting an OAC twinbill against Capital University at Heritage Field in Berea at 1:00 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.