Wooster 6, Ohio Wesleyan 2

Senior first baseman Nathan Strome (Sidney) doubled home a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2, but Wooster scored the final 4 runs of the contest to defeat Ohio Wesleyan in Game 3 of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament on Friday in Chillicothe.

Wooster advances to Saturday's championship game, while Ohio Wesleyan will return to the field at 7 p.m. today to face the survivor of an elimination game between Kenyon and DePauw.

The Bishops had Wooster starter Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads on the ropes early and often, loading the bases with one out in the first but leaving the sacks full, stranding 2 runners in the second, getting a runner in scoring position in the third, and leaving a runner at third after a leadoff double by sophomore third baseman Sean Vollenweider (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales) in the fourth.

Meanwhile, junior righthander Steve Skarsten (Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe) struggled with his control in the early going, hitting a pair of Tiger batters in the first but getting out of the inning with the help of a double-play grounder, and hitting another batter in the second but inducing Zack Vesco to bounce into another double play.

Michael DeBord broke the scoreless tie with a solo homer in the bottom of the third, and Wooster added another run in the inning as Jarrod Mancine walked and stole second, then scored on a single by Eddie Reese.

Senior first baseman Tim Knezovich (Columbus/Briggs) and junior catcher James Toland (Stow/Walsh Jesuit) drew one-out walks in the fifth, chasing Cunningham-Rhoads, and Strome greeted reliever Colin Meinzer with a double down the rightfield line, plating both runners to tie the game at 2-2.  The Bishops proceeded to load the bases as senior outfielder Seth Frentsos (Delaware/Hayes) reached safely by scooting underneath a high throw from second baseman Reese, and Vollenweider walked, chasing Meinzer, but Ben Cerami came on in relief and got freshman outfielder J.J. Buckey (Toledo/Ottawa Hills) to roll into an inning-ending double play.

Wooster got the 2 runs back in the bottom of the inning as Craig Day and Reese opened the inning with singles and eventually scored on RBI singles by Cal Thomay and Jake Zeek.  Thomay would add an RBI double during Wooster's 2-run eighth.

Sophomore righthander Greg Hock (Lewis Center/Bishop Watterson) was charged with the loss in relief.

Cerami picked up the win for Wooster, and Steve Hagen worked 3.0 innings of 1-hit relief to collect a save.

Box Score