TIFFIN, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team splits in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Heidelberg University today (Tuesday, April 17, 2012) at Peaceful Valley. The Student Princes won the first game, 9-8 in eight innings, and B-W captured the nightcap, 6-5 in seven innings.

With its win, the Yellow Jackets are 24-7 overall and 8-4 in the OAC. The 24 wins is the most in a season since the 2003-2004 season when the team went 20-14 overall. B-W is now one wins shy of its all-time school-record of 25 that was set in both 1990-91 and 2001-2002.  Heidelberg is now 17-14 overall and 6-6 in the OAC.

In the first game, the Yellow Jackets gained a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when senior shortstop Anthony Longhitano (Cuyahoga Falls) singled and then scored on a double by freshman first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North). Chontos then scored via a single by junior second baseman Jay Yost (Bascom/ Hopewell-Loudon).

The lead was short-lived, however, as Heidelberg would score once in the bottom of the first, twice more in the second and three times in the fourth for a commanding 6-2 advantage.

In the sixth inning, senior catcher Ryan Nordquist (Alliance/ Senior) led off by being hit by a pitch, advanced to second when freshman designated Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls) walked, moved to third on an error to load the bases. But a strikeout and a double play ended the threat.

In the seventh, B-W made it interesting as junior leftfielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./ St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) doubled to lead off the inning. After a ground out, Chontos hammered his team-leading fourth homerun of the season to close the gap to 6-4.  Then sophomore catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg) pinch hit for Nordquist and doubled to bring the tying run to the plate for the second straight inning. Ferster then singled and moved Hiller to third. Sophomore 1B Drew Mahler (Wooster/ Senior) then pinch hit for freshman 3B Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) and singled to score Hiller to make it 6-5 and advance Ferster to third. After a walk to pinch hitter Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) loaded the bases, freshman rightfielder Alex Green (Pickerington/ North) walked to bring home Ferster and tie the game at 6-6.

Junior reliever Jon Tenley (Wadsworth) would come in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh and shut down three straight Heidelberg batters to continue play into the eighth inning. The Yellow Jacket offense would start rolling with one out with two consecutive singles by Chontos and Yost. Both Chontos and Yost would advance to third and second with Hiller at the plate. Hiller would then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Chontos to break the 6-6 tie (7-6) while Yost advanced to third on the play. Ferster would walk up the plate next and rip a single to plate Yost and make it a 8-6 B-W lead. Tenley would try to pick up his first win of the season, but the Heidelberg bats were to much to handle as the Student Princes would plate three runs to get the win, 9-8 after eight innings of play.    

At the plate, the Yellow Jackets were led by Chontos who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, homer and walk and three runs batted-in and Ferster who had three pair of hits, including a triple, run scored and walked twice. On the mound, junior ace Pat Havens (Twinsburg) started and pitched one and two-third innings before leaving with a 3-2 deficit. He allowed three hits, three runs (one earned), struck out three and walked one. He was replaced by freshman Anthony Alioto Jr. (Mayfield Heights/ Mayfield) who pitched two innings, allowed three hits, three runs (all earned) and walked four batters. Sophomore Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) followed and pitched two and one-third innings, allowed one hit and struck out two Student Princes. Tenley would come in for the final one and two-thirds innings to pick up his first loss of the season (0-1). He would give up three runs (all earned) with three walks and two strikeouts.

In the nightcap, the game was shortened to seven innings due to the first game going eight innings. B-W would jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on two hits. In the bottom of the second inning, Heidelberg would score a run of their own to make the score, 4-1.

After a scoreless third inning, the Yellow Jackets would score one more run (5-1) in the top of the fourth inning as Longhitano (walked) scored on a wild pitch after advancing to second on a Chontos walk and then to third on a single by Yost. The Student Princes would answer with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on four hits (5-3). Heidelberg would pick up to more runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5. In the seventh, the B-W offense would strike again with the go-ahead run with two outs as Toughey doubled to plate Green, who singled and stole second base. Tenley would go one, two, three in the bottom of the seventh in pick up all-time career save number 10 and his sixth this season.

At the plate, Chontos, Green and Toughey led the Yellow Jacket hitters in game two. Chontos went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, one RBI, one run scored and two walks. Green went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and one run scored. Toughey would go 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI, one run scored and a walk.

On the mound, senior right-hander Josh Scott (Strongsville) would start the first six innings and give up five runs (four earned) on seven hits. Scott (7-0) would then be relieved by Tenley, who pitched the final inning, would face three Student Prince batters and strikeout one.

The Yellow Jackets are back in action tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18 when they travel to University Circle to play a single game at Case Western Reserve University at 4:00 p.m. This Saturday, April 21, B-W hosts an OAC twinbill versus Ohio Northern University at 1:00 p.m.

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 Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.