BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team won one and tied one in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Wilmington College today (Saturday, April 24, 2010) at Heritage Field in Berea. The Jackets won the opener, 5-2, and tied the nightcap, 7-7, when the game was called in the sixth inning due to heavy rain. The game one victory gave B-W veteran Head Coach Bob Fisher 698 career victories.
B-W improves to 10-18-1 overall and 4-7-1 in the OAC. Wilmington is now 6-24-1 overall and 2-9-1 in the OAC.
In the opener, BW scored once in the first when senior second baseman Matt Rollins (Walbridge/Millbury Lake) reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by senior third baseman Jim Martin (Euclid).
Wilmington tied the game in the second but the Jackets answered with two in the third when Rollins singled home freshman centerfielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria/Senior) and later scored on a single by senior designated hitter Scott Nealon (Avon Lake).
The Quakers cut the Jacket lead to 3-2 with a run in the fourth but BW was able to add insurance runs in the fourth in the sixth. Neuschaefer doubled to left center to score sophomore shortstop Anthony Longhitano (Cuyahoga Falls) in the fourth then hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to once again plate Longhitano.
On the mound, senior Scott Luthman (Celina) tossed his first complete game of the season to improve to 3-2. He allowed two earned runs on five hits and struck out four without issuing a walk.
For the game, B-W totaled 10 base hits. Rollins was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a run batted-in.Neuschaefer was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
In game two, Wilmington got on the board in the second with a solo homerun then added four runs on five hits in the third. B-W got on the board in the third when Longhitano singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a two-out single by Martin. The Quakers made their lead 7-1 with two in the fourth and one in the fifth.
The Yellow Jackets got back in the game with six runs with two outs in the fifth to tie the score at seven. Scott Nealon tripled to deep center to plate Martin and senior first baseman Chris Nealon (Avon Lake) then scored on a single by senior rightfielder Ted Cowling (Streetsboro). Longhitano then reached on an infield single to bring home Cowling before Neuschaefer singled in senior catcher Matt Bush (Grafton/Midview) and freshman outfielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Josephs Collegiate Institute).
Wilmington came right back four runs with no outs in the top of the sixth, but increasingly inclement weather conditions caused the game to be called. Because BW did not receive an at-bat in the sixth, the game reverted back to the fifth inning and a 7-7 tie.
Sophomore Josh Scott (Strongsville) started and allowed five earned runs in two innings. Sophomore Colin Wright (Lorain/Admiral King) threw three innings in relief and allowed two runs with a pair of strikeouts.
At the plate, Longhitano was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, Neuschaefer was 1-for-3 with two RBI and his team-best 11th stolen base.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, April 27 when they travel to Westerville, Ohio to play an OAC doubleheader against rival Otterbein College at 1:00 p.m. B-W next plays at home on Thursday, April 29 when it hosts non-league foe Notre Dame College (of Ohio) in a varsity and junior varsity doubleheader at 2:00 p.m.
Next Saturday, May 1, B-W will host Muskingum College at 1:00 p.m. in an OAC twinbill that is both B-W Baseball Alumni Day and Bob Fisher Recognition Day. Coach Fisher is retiring at the end of this season, his 42nd. If you would like to attend B-W Baseball Alumni Day, please e-mail either Mark Masey at massey0713@sbcglobal.net or Guy Fisher at guyfisher@yahoo.com. You also are invited to the BW Baseball Web site on-line at www.bwbaseball.com. It is designed and operated by Guy Fisher.
FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
