BEREA, OHIO – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg University, 6-4, today (Wednesday, April 17, 2013) to gain a split in an OAC doubleheader at Heritage Field.  Heidelberg won the first game, 9-5. You can read more about the first game here.

With its win, BW improves to 20-7 overall and 9-3 in the OAC and one game back of first place Marietta College (10-2 in the OAC after sweeping Otterbein University today).  The 20 victories marks the second straight year that BW has had 20 or more. Last year, the Jackets set the school single-season record with 27 wins and were 27-13 overall.  With their loss, the Student Princes drop to 16-13 overall and 5-7 in the OAC and are all but eliminated from this year's OAC Tournament.

The Yellow Jackets gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. After one out, junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) walked and moved to second base on a balk by the Student Prince pitcher. After sophomore All-OAC first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North) was hit by a pitch, sophomore designated hitter Alex Green (Pickerington/ North) singled to score Gugliotta.

Heidelberg scored twice in the top of the second inning to take a 2-1 lead, but BW came right back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame. Freshman right fielder Jerry Scholle (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) walked and moved to third base when freshman second baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green) singled. After an out, senior All-OAC center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria) singled home Scholle.

The Student Princes came back with a run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead and another in the fifth for a 4-2 advantage.

Undaunted, BW regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Chontos doubled and moved to third base via a wild pitch. After Green walked, sophomore shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) singled to score Chontos to make it 4-3 and moved Green to second base. Scholle had an infield single to load the bases. Zimmerman singled home both Green and Murphy to give the Jackets a 5-4 advantage. Junior catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg) added the fourth run of the frame when he singled to score Scholle for a 6-4 lead.

Heidelberg threatened in the top of the ninth inning. With one out, the Student Princes received a single and a walk to put runners at first and second base. Enter freshman reliever Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) who struck out the final two batters of the game to earn his first collegiate save.

At the plate, Green, Murphy and Zimmerman led the way with two hits each. Green was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run batted-in. Murphy was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Zimmerman had a pair of RBI.

On the mound, sophomore right-hander Anthony Alioto Jr. (Mayfield Heights/ Mayfield) started and pitched the first four and one-third innings and allowed six hits, four runs (three earned) with three strikeouts and three walks. He was followed to the mound by junior Dylan Fodor (Twinsburg) who piched two-thirds of an inning and allowed one hit. He earned the victory to improve to 3-0. He was followed to the mound by freshman Tom Loeffler (Shaker Heights) who pitched three and one-third innings, allowed two hits and no runs and struck out two walked three.

BW faces Ohio Northern University on Saturday, April 20 in an OAC doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Ada before hosting non-conference foe Hiram College on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 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.