Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Ohio Wesleyan 11, Wittenberg 7
Wittenberg 8, Ohio Wesleyan 0

Sophomore first baseman Canyon McWilliams (Shaker Heights) smashed a grand slam and finished with 5 RBI as Ohio Wesleyan outscored Wittenberg in the opener of a North Coast Athletic Conference twinbill on Sunday at Littick Field.

In the nightcap, Wittenberg's Jace Barga tossed a 4-hit shutout as the Tigers salvaged a split of the doubleheader.

With the split, Ohio Wesleyan finishes the season with a 9-9 record in conference play, good for a fifth-place tie in the league standings.

The Bishops took an early lead in the opener, with freshman catcher Zack Stiteler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) and freshman outfielder Cole Antle (Grove City) knocking in runs during the first inning and McWilliams belting a grand slam in the second.

Wittenberg rallied with 3 runs in the third, capped by Tim Bates' RBI single, but the Bishops got those runs back in the bottom of the inning, with senior outfielder Michael Blatchford (Shaker Heights) and McWilliams driving in runs.

The Tigers chipped away at the deficit with single runs in the fourth and fifth and 2 more in the seventh, with Bates delivering another RBI single, but that was as close as the visitors would come.

Blatchford went 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored, while freshman shortstop Austin Harper (Sycamore/Mohawk) was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.  Senior righthander Kevin Zullo (Hudson) pitched the first 5.0 innings to record the victory, and sophomore righthander Chris Punka (Tallmadge/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) worked the final 4.0 innings to record his first save of the season.

Tanner Griggs was the starting and losing pitcher for Wittenberg.

Wittenberg went up, 1-0, in the nightcap when Bates led off the second with a triple and later scored when Hayden Knox lined a shot that caromed off sophomore righthander Justin Grubb (Pickerington/North) and over to senior third baseman Colin Stolly (Lima/Central Catholic), with Knox beating the throw to first by an eyelash and Bates scoring on the play.

Ohio Wesleyan threatened in the third, with Harper and Stolly drawing one-out walks, but Barga bounced back to get out of the inning.

Chase Carpenter plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the Wittenberg fourth to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Harper lined a single to left with one out in the fifth to break up Barga's no-hit bid, but he was stranded at first.

Wittenberg struck for 4 runs in the sixth, highlighted by a 2-run double by Jack Hollinshead.

The Bishops would put runners on first and second with one out in the sixth and eighth innings, but Barga worked out of the inning each time.

Grubb was the starting and losing pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan.

Barga finished with a 4-hit shutout, striking out 5 and walking 3.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2