WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team will have to wait until its nightcap at host and Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein University to tie its single-season school record for victories. The Yellow Jackets lost 9-3 to the Cardinals in the first game of an OAC and season-ending doubleheader at Fishbaugh Field.
With its loss, BW drops to 26-13 overall and falls into a third place tie with the Cardinals at 10-7 in the OAC. The 26 wins is one shy of the all-time mark at BW. Otterbein's win improves its marks to 24-14 overall and 10-7 in the OAC.
The Cardinals scored once in the bottom of the first inning and added four more runs in the bottom of the second to build a 5-0 lead and chase BW senior starter and right-handed ace Pat Havens (Twinsburg) after just one and one-third innings of work. Havens, who entered the game needing a win to tie the single-season school-record for victories, was hampered by an injury he suffered last weekend.
BW fought back with two runs in the top of the third to make it 5-2. After one out, senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst. N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Academy) singled and moved to third base when junior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-District VII third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) singled. After sophomore first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North) walked to load the bases, sophomore right fielder Alex Green (Pickerington/ North) singled to score Toughey with his single-season school-record 64th run of the season. Freshman second baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/Green) followed with a single to score Gugliotta. Otterbein averted a big inning by BW by getting the next two Yellow Jacket hitters to strike out.
Otterbein built its lead to 9-2 with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
BW scored once in the sixth to make it 9-3. Junior catcher Chaz McGrain (Valley City/Olmsted Falls) reached via an error, moved to second via a bunt single by senior All-OAC center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria), to third on a ground out and scored when Gugliotta singled to drive in his team-leading 37th run of the season.
At the plate, Zimmerman continue his hot-hitting as he had three base hits and was 3-for-4 with a run batted-in. In addition, Gugliotta was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Green was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, Havens started and pitched one and one-third innings, allowed four hits and five runs (all earned), struck out one and walked three as he dropped to 7-4 this season. He was followed by junior Dylan Fodor (Twinsburg), who made his single-season school-record 19th appearance of the season, and pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed one base hit. Junior Cory Durbin (Canron/GlenOak) followed Fodor and pitched two innings, allowed four hits and three runs (none earned). Junior Jon Capadona (North Royalton) pitched two innings, allowed one hit, no runs and struck out a pair of Cardinals.
A year ago, the Yellow Jackets set a single-season school-record with 27 victories and a 27-13 record.
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.
