OWU Takes Two on Sunday to Eliminate Scots from NCAC Tourney

Wooster's Pat Christensen beats the throw down to second after a wild pitch during Sunday's first game.

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster banged out five home runs on Sunday, but it was not enough as Ohio Wesleyan University won a pair of games, 6-3 and 14-6, to take the teams’ best-of-three semifinal series during North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament action at Art Murray Field. Wooster had prevailed 14-7 in the lone game played Saturday.

Wooster now has to wait and see if its 34-9 overall record is worthy of an at-large berth into the NCAA Div. III Tournament. That announcement will be made Monday, May 12. Ohio Wesleyan will take its 26-16 record into the NCAC Tournament championship series, where it will face Denison University, which also holds a 26-16 record.

Despite losing by eight in the decisive game, the Fighting Scots had their chances. Trailing 9-3 going into the bottom of the sixth, Wooster first pulled within four on a Dan Skulina (Hinckley, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) two-run homer with one out. The Scots next three batters reached safely, bringing their top offensive threat to the plate in Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Twp.). He hit a sharp liner, however, it was right to the third baseman, who stepped on third for an inning-ending double play.

The score was still 9-5 in the eighth, when Wooster again appeared to have a rally going. With one down, Skulina and Shane Swearingen (Hilliard, Ohio / Bishop Watterson) both walked on four pitches, and then a balk was called, putting the base runners in scoring position. The Battling Bishops’ reliever, Matthew Struble, struck out the next two Scots to end the threat.

Ohio Wesleyan proceeded to put a five-spot up on the board in the ninth inning to seal the victory.

Earlier in the third game of the series, the Bishops took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout in the second. Wooster tallied two that frame, including a Pat Christensen (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore) solo home run – his 11th this season and No. 38 for his career.

That would be the Scots only lead of the day, as Ohio Wesleyan struck back with three tallies in the third, all coming in on A.J. Dote’s homer to right-center, two in the fourth on a double just inside the left field line by Zach Frentsos, and three more in the sixth, keyed by another two-run base knock from Frentsos, this time singling up the middle.

On the mound, Struble came on in the fourth and pitched the final six innings for the win (5-3), yielding three runs on five hits and six walks while striking out seven. Wooster starter Matt Barnes (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Langley) took the loss (5-2), with six of the Battling Bishops’ runs coming off him in five innings.

In Sunday’s first game, Ohio Wesleyan set the tone, batting around in the first inning, scoring four runs on three hits, a walk, two wild pitches, a passed ball, and a two-base throwing error.

Wooster got back into it with single tallies in the third and fourth on respective solo home runs by Karpen and Matt Groezinger (Upper Arlington, Ohio / Upper Arlington), and then added another in the fifth when Karpen led off with a double and eventually came home on a Groezinger sacrifice fly.

Hanging onto a 4-3 lead, the Battling Bishops managed a couple of insurance runs during the sixth, with the key hits being two-out RBI singles by Logan Hronis and Brent Wilkins.

The Scots threatened in the seventh, earning a couple of walks, but with two outs, lefty Joey McDaniel was summoned from the bullpen and he struck out the first man he faced on three pitches.

With two more walks, Wooster brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, only to see McDaniel induce a game-ending double play.

Xander Jones had gone the first 6.2 innings to earn the win (6-3), allowing three runs on four hits and six walks. McDaniel, who went on to start game three, picked up his first save of the season.

Scot starter Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic) was saddled with the loss (7-3), with five of the six runs off of him being earned during 5.1 innings of work.

Offensively on the day, Dote led all players, combining to go 5-for-9 with four runs and three RBI.