Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Ohio Wesleyan 9, Capital 2
Ohio Wesleyan 7, Capital 6

Junior first baseman Zane Vitense (Maple Grove, Minn.) had a 2-run single to highlight a 3-run first inning and sophomore righthander Jacob Lowery (Lyndhurst/Gilmour Academy) pitched a complete-game win as Ohio Wesleyan recorded a win over Capital in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Huntington Park in Columbus.

In the nightcap, sophomore shortstop Josh Bercaw (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) plated the go-ahead run during a 3-run fourth frame, and the Bishops went on to complete the sweep of the twinbill.

With one out in the top of the first in the opener, senior second baseman Ryan Duckworth (Hilliard/Bradley) was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by junior first baseman Alex Snyder (Massillon/Jackson) before junior catcher Carter Vilevac (Sheffield Village/Brookside) reached on an error and junior outfielder Colton Moone (South Vienna/Northeastern) was hit by a pitch to fill the sacks.  Vitense singled home Snyder and Vilevac for a 3-0 Bishop lead.

Capital closed to within 3-2 in the bottom of the inning with the help of a solo homer by Gio Mastrorosa, but the Bishops responded with 3 runs in the top of the second, with senior outfielder Sammy Stoner (Dublin/Jerome) and Snyder driving in runs.  Snyder scored a run in the fifth and Stoner delivered a 2-run single in the sixth.

Stoner, Snyder, and Vitense each went 2-for-4.  Lowery worked the complete game, scattering 6 hits and striking out a career-high 11 batters.  Lowery is the first Bishop pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in a game since March 20, 2021, when Ethan Soderna fanned 10 Wooster batters in the opener of a doubleheader at Wooster.

The Comets took an early lead in the nightcap on Robby Harrison's 2-run homer in the first.

Snyder plated a run on a sacrifice fly in the third, and Ohio Wesleyan took the lead with 3 runs in the fourth, tying the game on a bases-loaded walk to junior catcher Blake Pettit (Hilliard/Davidson) before Bercaw knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and Duckworth added an RBI single later in the inning.

After Capital closed to within 4-3, the Bishops tacked on some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by a 2-run single from sophomore third baseman Michael Malone (Carroll/Bloom-Carroll).

Those runs proved valuable in the bottom of the inning when Capital loaded the bases with nobody out before a 2-run single by Bryce Kyees and a sacrifice fly from Ethan Rodriguez brought the Comets within 7-6.  With the tying run at first base and one out, Vitense picked off pinch-runner Ryan Brophy, then got Michael Andryszczyk on a called third strike to end the game.

Vitense went 3-for-4 for Ohio Wesleyan, while Stoner and Malone were 2-for-4 and Duckworth was 2-for-2.  Sophomore lefthander Nate Cory (Donnelsville/New Carlisle Tecumseh) was credited with the win in relief, his first collegiate victory.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2