GREENSBURG, Pa. – Senior CAPITAL ONE Academic All-American left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate institute) broke the school career runs scored mark and the Baldwin Wallace University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Pitt - Greensburg (Pa.) at Bobcat Park. BW dropped the first game, 5-4, before coming back to take the second game, 11-4, in a rain-shortened five-inning game.
The split improves BW to 24-11 overall. Pitt - Greensburg falls to 13-21.
Toughey scored one run in the first game to the tie the school career record before breaking the mark on a solo home run in the second game. Toughey, who now has 144 career runs, surpassed former All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-American center fielder Cody Kidd, who scored 143 runs from 2006-2009.
Freshman second baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/Green) hit his first career home run in a 2-for-3 effort, and freshman designated hitter Hunter Handel (Akron/Green) went 1-for-2 with two runs batted-in. Sophomore All-OAC first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/North) reached base three times via walk and scored one run.
Toughey led off the first game by reaching base on an error, stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored his record-tying run on a double by junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg). A sacrifice fly by Handel scored Gugliotta and staked the Yellow Jackets to a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats took a 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning before BW tied the game in its half of the third. Chontos drew a one-out walk, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, then scored on a run batted-in single by Handel.
The Yellow Jackets took a 4-3 lead in the fourth on Zimmerman's leadoff home run.
Pitt - Greensburg tied the game with a single run in its half of the fourth, and scored the winning run with a pair of doubles in the sixth.
Freshman right-hander Tom Loeffler (Shaker Heights) made his first career start and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and issued two walks over 3 1/3 innings, but worked to a no decision. Freshman righty Matt Wittels (Lyndhurst/Brush) worked the last 2 2/3 innings and allowed one run (earned) on two hits, but was saddled with the loss and fell to 0-1.
In the second game, Chontos' single scored Zimmerman, who doubled, in the top of the first inning to give BW a 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets sent eight batters to the plate in the second and rallied for four runs. Sophomore right fielder Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls) led off the inning with a single, stole second and third, then scored on a double by junior catcher Joe Hiller (Twinsburg). Senior All-OAC center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria) and Toughey followed with back-to-back home runs to cap the inning. The pair's back-to-back dingers were the first for BW this season, and was Toughey's record-breaking run scored.
The Brown & Gold sent seven more batters to the plate in the third and scored twice to extend its lead to 7-0. Ferster singled, stole second, and advanced to third when sophomore shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/Midpark) reached base on an error. Both scored on Hiller's single.
The Bobcats manufactured for runs in the third, but BW tacked on four more tallies of its own in the fourth to extend its lead to what would prove to be the 11-4 final score. Chontos and senior third baseman Matt Kulick (Wilmot/Fairless) singled before pulling off a double steal. Back-to-back doubles by Murphy and Hiller sparked the rally and Neuschaefer singled home Hiller before rain forced the end of the game in the fifth inning.
Three Yellow Jackets recorded multiple hits in the second game and BW matched a season high by stealing seven bases. Hiller went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a stolen base, three RBI and two runs scored. Neuschaefer went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run, and Ferster was 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. Murphy also drove in two runs.
Senior right-hander Will Pantages (Akron/Firestone) made his first career start and earned the win to improve to 2-0 for his career. He allowed all four Bobcat runs (two earned) on two hits and struck out three batters in three innings of work. Freshman right-hander Paul Szabo (Richmond Heights/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) allowed one hit and fanned two batters in 1 2/3 innings of relief, and freshman righty Connor Murphy (Westford, Mass./Northeast) retired the only batter he faced in the fifth.
BW returns to the diamond Tuesday, April 30 when it faces Cleveland cross-town foe Case Western Reserve University in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. before closing the 2013 season Saturday, May 4 at Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein University at 1 p.m.
A year ago, the Yellow Jackets set a school record with a 27-13 overall 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.
