Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Case Reserve 12, Ohio Wesleyan 8
Case Reserve 2, Ohio Wesleyan 1
Junior outfielder Davis Graham (Canton/Massillon Jackson) slammed a 2-run homer during a 4-run sixth inning that brought Ohio Wesleyan within 10-8, but Case Reserve held off the Bishop comeback and went on to a win in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday in Cleveland.
In the nightcap, senior third baseman Austin Harper (Sycamore/Mohawk) scored to give Ohio Wesleyan a 1-0 lead, but the Spartans took the lead and withstood a Bishop rally in the seventh to complete the sweep.
The hosts took a 5-0 lead in the second inning of the opener, getting RBI singles from Cole Jarrett and Kevin Mackenzie during the inning.
Ohio Wesleyan closed to within 5-2 in the third, loading the bases with nobody out before a walk to Graham and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Harper plated 2 runs, but Case Reserve took advantage of a pair of Bishop errors to get the runs back in the bottom of the inning.
Trailing, 10-4, the Bishops rallied in the sixth as senior outfielder Cole Antle (Grove City) led off with a double and stole third, and freshman second baseman Blake Farley (Hudson) singled him home with one out. Graham's home run made it 10-7, and the Bishops pulled closer when Harper singled, moved to second on a wild pickoff attempt by CWRU hurler Jonathan Simon, and scored on a single by junior third baseman Colin Spranger (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township). With Spranger running, senior catcher Zack Stitler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) was retired on strikes and Spranger was called out at second on an interference call, completing an inning-ending double play.
Spranger was 2-for-3 for Ohio Wesleyan, while Graham went 1-for-2, scored twice, and drove in 3 runs.
Senior righthander Ethan Soderna (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) was the starting and losing pitcher for the Bishops.
Tyler Horvath pitched the first 4.0 innings to record the win for CWRU, and Zack Carinci got the final 5 outs to record a save.
Sophomore righthander Michael Lipscomb (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) and Case Reserve's Tony Smodilla engaged in a pitchers' duel in the nightcap, with each working 3.0 shutout innings to open the game.
The Bishops broke the scoreless deadlock in the fourth as Harper and sophomore outfielder Max Pershin (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech College Prep) drew one-out walks. The runners moved up on an infield out off the bat of junior first baseman Luigi Russo (Kelowna, B.C./Rutland Senior), and Harper came home when Smodilla was called for a balk.
Case Reserve took the lead in the fifth as Jack Anderson reached on an error by Harper, and Simon and Mackenzie hit back-to-back RBI doubles.
Ohio Wesleyan threatened in the seventh when freshman outfielder Edrick Padilla (Salinas, P.R./Perkiomen (Pa.) School) lined a one-out single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Spranger drew a 2-out walk to put the go-ahead run on base, but Carinci got senior shortstop C.J. Colson (Beachwood) on an infield grounder to close out the game.
Lipscomb scattered 6 hits, struck out 3, and walked none in working the complete game.
Smodilla allowed 2 hits over the first 6.0 innings to collect the win, and Carinci piched the seventh for a save.
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
