BEXLEY, OHIO –  The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team defeated Capital University, 9-2, today in the first game of an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Clowson Field. The second game begins in 20 minutes.

With the victory, the Yellow Jackets improved to 17-5 overall and 6-1 in the OAC. With its loss, the Crusaders dropped to 12-11 overall and 2-5 in the OAC.

   

In the top of the first inning, senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American and All-OAC left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) led off the game with a single and would score the lone run of the inning on the run batted-in (RBI) sacrifice fly by sophomore right fielder  Alex Green (Pickerington/North). 

Sophomore catcher Chaz McGrain (Valley City/Olmsted Falls) singled up the middle with one out in the top of the second inning. After two wild pitches and a walk by senior center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria), McGrain scored on the RBI sacrifice fly by Toughey to push the lead to 2-0.

Sophomore first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North) led off the top of the third inning and belted his first home run of the season to center field.  With one out, sophomore designated hitter Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls) walked and scored the innings second run on RBI single by sophomore shortstop Eric Murphy (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) extending the BW lead to 4-0.

In the top of the fifth inning the Yellow Jackets tacked on two more runs, 6-0, when Green led off the inning with a triple to right center.  Green scored on the RBI double to right field by Murphy, who then scored on the RBI single up the middle from McGrain.

In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Capital scored cut into the lead as it plated one run.

BW responded with three runs in the top of the sixth inning.  Toughey led off the inning as he was hit by a pitch, and after a base knock by junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) and a wild pitch, scored on the RBI single up the middle by Chontos.   Junior pinch hitter Drew Mahler (Wooster) delivered a one-out double to left field platting Gugliotta and Chontos.

The Crusaders pushed another run across to cut the lead down to 9-2 after six innings.

At the plate, Murphy each went 2-for-3 with two RBI.  Chontos, McGrain and Gugliotta each went 2-for-4.  Chontos added a homerun, run scored and two RBI, McGrain had an RBI and run scored and Gugliotta had a run scored.

Three BW pitchers combined to allow two runs on six hits.  Senior All-OAC and All-Mideast Region right-hander Pat Havens (Twinsburg) picked up his seventh win of the season as he pitched five innings and allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Junior right-hander Dylan Fodor (Twinsburg) came in relief and pitched the sixth inning and allowed one run on one hit.  Freshman Brandon Cichocki (WalledLake Mich./Central) pitched a scoreless seventh inning with three strikeouts and one walk.

Havens, 7-1 this season, is one win shy of tying the school single-season record for wins.

BW is back in action tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 when it hosts Wilmington College in an OAC twinbill at Heritage Field at 1:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets remain at home and host Heidelberg University for two OAC games on Tuesday, April 16 with the first game at 1:00 p.m. BW also hosts non-league foe LaRoche (Pa.) College for a single, nine-inning game on Wednesday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m.

FOR MORE BW 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 BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics