FRANKLIN, KENTUCKY -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team defeated Wabash (Ind.) College, 11-10, today in the first game of a doubleheader. The second game is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. The games were originially scheduled in Nashville, Tennessee, but due to wet conditions, the games were moved to Franklin-Simpson High School in Kentucky.
With its win, the Yellow Jackets are 4-0 overall. With its loss, Wabash is 0-1 overall. The Little Giants are on their way to Florida to begin their annual spring break trip.
The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the first, but did not score and found themselves behind 4-0 when the Little Giants scored four times in the bottom of the first inning off of BW senior All-OAC right handed starter Pat Havens (Twinsburg).
The Yellow Jackets closed the deficit to 4-2 in the top of the second inning as sophomore shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/Midpark) singled up the middle to score freshman right fielder Jerry Scholle (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) and senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute). Scholle began the inning with a walk and stole second. He moved to third and Toughey to second when freshman third baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/Green) walked.
BW closed to 4-3 in the third as junior transfer catcher Chaz McGrain (Valley City/Olmsted Falls) singled home sophomore second baseman Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls). Ferster led off the inning with a single and stole second before Ferster's two-out run-scoring single. The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 4-4 one inning later as Toughey singled and stole second. He moved to third on a Murphy base hit, and after Murphy stole second, Toughey scored on a sacrifice fly by All-OAC first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North).
BW gained a 7-4 lead in the fifth when it scored three runs on just one base hit and were the beneficiaries on two Wabash errors. The lone hit in the frame was a single and run batted-in by senior center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria). Murphy had the other RBI when he reached on a error. The Jackets also could have scored more but a line drive by Chontos turned into an inning-ending double play.
After Wabash made it 7-5 in the bottom of the fifth, the Yellow Jackets came right back in the sixth to build their lead to 9-5 as Neuschaefer singled, stole second and then third and scored when Toughey blasted a two-run homerun. The homer was the second of Toughey's career. Wabash made it 9-6 in the bottom of the frame on a homerun of its own.
BW scored its final runs in the ninth to make it 11-6 as Neuschaefer reached second base on a throwing error and then stole third for his third theft of the day and the seventh by the Yellow Jackets. He scored when Toughey doubled for his fourth hit of the game and became his fourth RBI. Toughey advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Murphy hit a sacrifice fly for his fourth RBI of the contest.
Undaunted, Wabash scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to cause BW Head Coach Brian Harrison a case of heartburn. But a called strike three ended the contest.
At the plate, Toughey led the way by going 4-for-4 with a double, homer, four runs scored, four RBI and a stolen base. Murphy was 2-for-5 with four RBI and a steal. Neuschaefer was 1-for-4 with three runs scored and the three steals.
On the mound, Havens pitched the first seven-plus innings and earned the win to improve to 2-0. He allowed seven hits, six runs (all earned), struck out six and walked two. He was extremely effective after the first inning when he allowed three hits, two walks and the four runs. Out of the bullpen, junior right hander Jon Capadona (North Royalton) pitched the eighth inning and allowed a walk and struck out one batter. Freshman Tom Loeffler (Shaker Heights) pitched the first two-thirds of the ninth inning and gave up a hit, two walks and three runs. He was replaced by freshman Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) who gave up a pair of singles, an unearned run and the key strikeout to end the game. Cichocki earned his first career save.
Following today's doubleheader, BW next plays the College of Mount St. Joseph on Sunday, March 10 in the first game of their annual Spring Break Trip to Port Charlotte, Florida. BW will play seven games in seven days. You can view more information on the trip at http://snowbirdbaseball.info/tournament-info/2013-schedule/.
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.
** Photo Courtesy of Larry Pantages
