BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team beat Ohio Athletic Conference rival Muskingum University, 5-3, in the first game of the Yellow Jackets' home and OAC-opening doubleheader at Heritage Field. The game was originally scheduled for yesterday but was moved today due to field conditions.

With its win, BW improves to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the OAC.  With its loss, Muskingum dropped to 1-12 overall and 0-1 in the OAC.

The Yellow Jackets gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, increased it to 2-0 with another tally in the second frame and added a run in the fourth to lead 3-0. Muskingum closed the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. BW gained some insurance in the bottom of the sixth when it scored twice. The Muskies made it interesting in the top of the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out but were only able to score once and left the tying runs in scoring position.

In the second, sophomore All-OAC first baseman Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls) doubled to right center field, was sacrifice bunted to third base and scored on a single by junior catcher Chaz McGrain (Valley City/ Olmsted Falls).

In the third inning, junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) singled to right field, moved to second on a groundout, advanced to third when Muskingum mishandled another grounder and scored via a wild pitch.

The fourth inning tally with two outs, freshman center fielder John Taylor (Stow/Hudson), pinch hitting for senior All-OAC center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria), tripled and scored on a double by senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./ St. Joseph Collegiate Institute).

In the bottom of the sixth, Ferster led off with a walk and scored when McGrain tripled him home. McGrain scored one batter later when Taylor laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt.

At the plate, BW outhit the Fighting Muskies, 7-3.  Gugliotta and McGrain led the way and each player had two base hits in three at-bats. Gugliotta also scored a run, and McGrain scored once and had two RBI. Toughey, Taylor and Ferster had the other hits.

On the mound, senior All-OAC and NCAA Division III All-Mideast Region pitcher Pat Havens (Twinsburg), last week's OAC Pitcher of the Week, started and tossed a complete-game three-hitters as he allowed three hits, three runs (two earned), struck out six and walked three as he improved to 5-1 overall and 17-7 in his career. The complete game was his second this season and the seventh of his career..

BW returns to action on Tuesday, April 2 when it hosts OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University in an OAC twinbill at 1:00 p.m. Following its JCU doubleheader, the Jackets play at NCAA Division I the University of Dayton on Wednesday, April 3 and then another OAC twinbill at the University of Mount Union on Saturday, April 6 at 1:00 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 B-W 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.