BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team lost a non-conference nine inning game to  Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University today (Wednesday, April 4) by final score of 18-9 at Heritage Field.

With the loss, the Yellow Jackets dropped their record to 17-5 overall while Case Western Reserve improves to 17-10.

Case jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning on four hits. B-W answered back, 2-1, in the bottom of the second when freshman first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North) led off the inning with a single. Later in the second, sophomore catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg) had RBI double to the right field scoring Chontos. 

The Spartans would add on one run in the top of the fourth and three more in the fifth to push the lead to 6-1.

The Yellow Jackets then added one run in the bottom of the fifth off a RBI single by senior shortstop Anthony Longhitano (Cuyahoga Falls) cutting Case lead down to 6-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, B-W would cut the lead down to one run, 6-5, as it would score three runs on four hits.
Chontos led off the inning with single and would advance to second on a stolen base.  Hiller then doubled to right field scoring Chontos.  Freshman rightfielder Alex Green (Pickerington/North) walked and junior centerfielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria) had a pinch hit single.  Junior leftfielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y. /St. Joseph's Collegiate Inst.) hit a two out double to score both Green and Neuschaefer.

In the top of the eighth Case Western would add eight insurance runs on seven hits extending the lead to 14-5.   The Yellow Jackets would rally to score four runs in the bottom of the inning on four hits to cut the lead down to 14-9.  Green reached on an error and advanced to second on the single by Neuschaefer.  Toughey had a bunt single to advance Green and Neuschaefer up a base.  Freshman third baseman Eric Murphy (Brook Park/Midpark) reached on a fielder's choice that scored Green and advanced Neuschaefer and Toughey.  Chontos would score Neuschaefer and Toughey and on two RBI single.  Murphy would score on the fielder's choice by sophomore Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg).

The Spartans added four runs on two hits to close out the scoring at 18-9.

The B-W offense scored nine runs on 15 hits and was led by Chontos who went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI,  two runs scored and a stolen base. In addition to Chontos, Toughey went 3-for-5, with a double , an RBI and two runs scored and Hiller went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.    

On the mound, seven Yellow Jacket pitchers combined to allow 18 runs on 17 hits.

B-W is back in action this Friday, April 6 when it will host the University of Mount Union in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Heritage Field at 1:00 p.m.