PORTSMOUTH, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team opened its 2013 season today with a 12-6 win against NAIA foe Shawnee State University. The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow.
With the win, the Yellow Jackets are 1-0 overall and Shawnee State is now 6-6 overall.
The Yellow Jackets grabbed a 3-0 lead after a single by sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference designated hitter Zach Ferster (Pickerington/ North) plated one run in the second inning, and runs batted-in by freshman second baseman Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green) and sophomore All-OAC first baseman Kyle Chontos (Pickerington/ North) scored two more in the third.
Shawnee State moved one run across the plate in the third, but BW added a run in the fourth following a triple by All-OAC centerfielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria/ Senior) and a sacrifice fly by senior Academic All-American and All-OAC left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./ St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute).
In the fifth frame, the Yellow Jackets exploded for five hits, including three doubles, to take a 7-1 lead. The Bears answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, and added one more in the sixth to close the gap to 7-4.
After a sacrifice fly by junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) scored Ferster in the seventh, Shawnee State scored one run in each of the seventh and eighth innings and cut the deficit to 8-6.
BW drew three walks in the ninth inning and put six men on base en route to scoring four insurance runs to seal the win.
At the plate, the Yellow Jackets were led by Ferster, who went 4-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI. Gugliotta was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, Neuschaefer went 2-for-2 with a double, triple, three runs and one RBI, and Toughey was 2-for-5 with a run and RBI.
On the mound, senior first-team All-OAC righthander Pat Havens (Twinsburg) started and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out four batters while issuing five walks over 6.0 innings, and earned the win to improve to 1-0. Senior righty David Redovian (Fairlawn/Copley) worked the seventh and eighth innings, surrendering two runs on four hits, and freshman righty Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) allowed just two hits in closing the ninth.
Following its twinbill tomorrow at Shawnee State, the Yellow Jackets next play a three-game series against Wabash (Ind.) College in Nashville, Tennessee next Saturday, March 2. The following weekend, March 10-16, BW travels to Port Charlotte, Florida for its annual Spring Break Trip.
A year ago, the Yellow Jackets won a school-record 27 games and had a 27-13 overall record.
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.
