BEVERLY, Mass. – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team faced Endicott College on day two of the NCAA Division III Baseball Super Regional series. The Yellow Jackets (37-11) earned the go ahead run in the top of the sixth and sustained that lead, defeating the Gulls (40-10) to claim the Super Regional title by a 7-4 final score.

When asked of the team's performance today, Head Coach Brian Harrison commented, "I'm just so proud of these boys." BW advances to its second-ever World Series and both under Coach Harrison, previously competing in the Championships in 2014. 

"Our upper classmen play with such poise, our throwers pitch with such poise, and we just kept fighting and kept competing," Coach Harrison said. "All of our RBIs today were from juniors and seniors, and we pitched six guys who were juniors and seniors. Those upperclassmen carried us and played with poise, with confidence, and toughness."

In the go-ahead hit by the Yellow Jackets, the team garnered the BW Team Hits record with 575 hits on the year and concluded the game by extending that record to 579 total hits. The Yellow Jackets surpass the previous World Series team from 2014, who notched 574 hits that season.

BW was led by junior All-OAC first baseman Luke Vonderhaar (New Bremen) as he homered to put the Yellow Jackets on the board, followed by the go-ahead two-run homerun hitter junior second baseman Ryan Guggenheim (Solon). Junior All-OAC centerfielder Vincent Capolupo (Kenmore, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate) separated the Yellow Jackets from the Gulls with a bases-clearing double in the sixth.

Scoring Plays

• The Gulls got the 3-0 jump in the bottom of the second on two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly ball
• In the top of the fourth, a solo homerun by Vonderhaar put the Yellow Jackets within two runs (3-1 Endicott) and extended the BW Single Season Homerun record to 19 on the season
• An RBI fielder's choice by Capolupo brought the Yellow Jackets within one run in the fifth
• In the top of the sixth, BW tallied five runs, highlighted by a two-run homerun by Guggenheim garnering the BW Team Hits Record
• Also in the sixth, a bases-clearing double by Capolupo gave BW the 7-3 advantage
• In the bottom of the seventh, the Gulls solo homered over right field to tally a run (7-4)
• Big pitching from senior All-OAC utility player Drew Wilson (Sagamore Hills/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) in the final two innings shut down the Gulls' offense as BW went on to claim the big 7-4 Super Regional Championship victory

On the Mound

• Senior right hander Clay Anderson (Broadview Heights/Trinity) started on the mound, allowing three runs, and tallying a strikeout
• Junior right hander Matt Sabin (Mentor) threw 1.2 innings, allowing two hits, and striking out one batter
• Senior right hander Steve Spidell (Mount Eaton/Waynedale) pitched 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit, and posted two strikeouts
• Junior right hander Garrett Miller (McMurray, Pa.) earned the win on the mound for the Yellow Jackets (3-1), pitching 2.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit, and struck out two batters
• Senior right hander Scott Kirchhoff (Toledo/Sylvania Northview) threw for two outs
• Right hander Wilson closed and earned the save, pitching two shutout and hitless innings, and struck out two batters 

The Yellow Jackets advance to their second-ever NCAA Division III Baseball Championships. BW will make their way to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for an eight-team bracketed World Series from Friday, June 3 through Wednesday, June 8. The opponents and time of each game of the Baseball Championships are to be determined. Check the baseball schedule page for updates.