Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Wittenberg 5, Ohio Wesleyan 4
Wittenberg 4, Ohio Wesleyan 1

Senior catcher Zack Stiteler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) lashed a 2-run single to tie the game at 4 in the top of the sixth inning, but Wittenberg pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning and went on to a win in the opener of a North Coast Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader on Wednesday in Springfield.

In the nightcap, junior first baseman Luigi Russo (Kelowna, B.C./Rutland Senior) drove in junior outfielder Davis Graham (Canton/Massillon Jackson) to put the Bishops on the scoreboard, but Wittenberg's Michael Osmond outdueled sophomore righthander Michael Lipscomb (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) as the Tigers completed the sweep.

Wittenberg had taken a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the opener with the help of an RBI double by Patrick Kenny and a run-scoring single by Mitchell Davis.

Senior shortstop C.J. Colson (Beachwood) crushed a 2-run homer to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 3-2 in the fourth, but the Tigers got one run back in the bottom of the inning on Dylan Jackson's RBI single.

Russo led off the Bishop sixth with a single and senior outfielder Cole Antle (Grove City) followed with a single.  The runners moved up on an infield out by freshman outfielder Edrick Padilla (Salinas, P.R./Perkiomen (Pa.) School) and scored on Stiteler's single, evening the score at 4.

Chase Whisner led off the home sixth with a double, but freshman righthander Tyler Monaco (Centerville/South Mecklenburg (N.C.)) bounced back to retire Gage Carpenter on a fly ball.  Senior righthander Ethan Soderna (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) came on in relief and retired Tanner Boros on a fly ball for the second out, with Whisner tagging up and heading to third on the play.  Whisner then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

Graham was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base in the seventh, but Tiger reliever Austin Luther got the final 2 outs to record a save.

Graham and sophomore outfielder Max Pershin (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech College Prep) each went 2-for-3 for Ohio Wesleyan.

Monaco was charged with the loss in relief.

Tyler Defibaugh was the winning pitcher in relief for Wittenberg.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the nightcap on Ryan Probst's 2-run single in the second.

Ohio Wesleyan pulled within 2-1 in the third when Graham lined a double, moved to third on an error by Tiger second baseman Probst, and scored on Russo's fly ball, but Wittenberg added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth and closed out the win.

Lipscomb worked the first 5.0 innings, scattering 4 hits while striking out 2 and walking 2.

Osmond also pitched the first 5.0 innings and allowed 4 hits, and Jared Burick threw 2.0 innings of hitless relief to collect a save.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2