BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team hooked a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference victories on Saturday afternoon against Muskingum University, 6-2 and 16-2, at Fisher Field.
In game one, BW (19-8, 8-2 OAC) plated six runs off nine hits, as one came in the fifth, four in the seventh, and one more in the eighth. Muskingum (8-18, 3-7 OAC) scored two runs off six hits.
The Yellow Jacket offense was led by sophomore shortstop Alex Ludwick (Brunswick/Padua Franciscan) as he totaled two runs batted-in (RBI), one hit, which gave BW a 3-2 lead in the seventh, scored a run and stole a base. Senior second baseman Kyle Pennington (Wadsworth) extended the Yellow Jacket lead in the seventh with his RBI single and stole one base. Senior first baseman Philip Wells (Buffalo, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate) recorded one hit with an RBI and senior two-time Academic All-OAC right fielder Reese Albright (Parma/North Royalton) went 2-for-3 at the plate, while junior Academic All-OAC center fielder Brandon Dim (Solon) tied the game up at two with his RBI single through the middle in the seventh. Sophomore third baseman Tony LoParo (Avon/Elyria Catholic) recorded an RBI while senior catcher Asa Adams (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) tallied one hit and a run scored. Junior Ty McKinney (Uniontown/Canton South) marked a hit and a run scored while junior designated hitter Sam Sustersic (Richfield/Revere) added a base hit.
Making his sixth start on the season was junior right handed-pitcher Spencer Aukerman (Medina), and his line included seven innings where allowed two runs off six hits and struck out four, en route to his second win. Earning his third save was senior left handed-pitcher Jack Raines (Akron/Archbishop Hoban), after he dealt two innings and allowed zero runs off zero hits and punched out two, to secure the 6-2 victory.
In game two, the Yellow Jackets scored a season-high 16 runs off 18 hits, and scored in every inning except the seventh and the eighth. Three were plated in the first, one in the second and third, seven in the fourth, and two in the fifth and sixth. Muskingum pushed across two runs in the eighth and totaled four hits.
The offense was led by Pennington as he had a career-tying three hits, including a double, scored four runs and drove in two. Ludwick went 3-for-5 at the dish with an RBI triple, and scored twice. Freshman catcher JT Mazula (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) went 2-of-4 with two doubles, drove in three Yellow Jackets and scored a run, while Adams went 2-for-3 with a double, and drove in two runs and scored twice. Wells went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored three times. Senior Academic All-OAC Lane Niemann (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South) went 2-of-3 with an RBI double, while senior left fielder Jacob Bonner (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) also had an RBI double and scored twice. Albright and freshman catcher Brandon Casto (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) each recorded a hit while Dim had one hit and a run scored.
Earning his second win on the season was sophomore righty Nick Smith (Mentor) as he went six innings and allowed zero runs off two hits and struck out two Muskies. Junior right handed-pitcher Racco DiLauro (Akron/Springfield) dealt an inning and struck out one before junior lefty Spencer Berg (New Albany) entered in the eighth and pitched one inning where he allowed two runs off one hit. Freshman Garrett Miller (McMurray) finished the ninth with one hit and struck out two.
The Yellow Jackets begin a six-game road trip with a doubleheader against Heidelberg University on Tuesday, April 16. Game one is slated for 1 p.m and game two for 4 p.m. After that series BW will travel to Columbus for an OAC doubleheader with Capital University on Friday, April 19. BW will conclude the trip with two games against La Roche (Pa.) University on Monday, April 22.
