LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Ohio Wesleyan University baseball team concluded its four-game series against Covenant on Monday, playing a doubleheader to decide the series after splitting the first two contests. The Battling Bishops seized control in the opening inning of both games and never let up, overpowering the Scots with a 6-2 victory in game one and an 11-0 shutout in game two.
With the wins, OWU improves to 5-4 on the season while Covenant falls to 7-8.
GAME ONE: OHIO WESLEYAN 6, COVENANT 2
Similar to their performance in Saturday's doubleheader, the Red and Black jumped out to an early advantage in the first inning. It took just three batters for the Bishops to load the bases, as
Michael Malone and
Colton Moone drew lead-off walks before
Alex Snyder was hit by a pitch. Nate Coyler then ripped one to the shortstop, who decided to take the out at second base and allow a run to score.
Matt Spencer stepped up next and battled his way to a full count. The payoff pitch resulted in a walk, but ball four skipped past the catcher, allowing Moone to hustle home for the second run. Moments later, Spencer and Coyler came across after a throwing error by the Scots shortstop.
Luke Johnson capped off the explosive first inning, grounding out to the pitcher to bring
Drew Newman home for the fifth and final run of the frame.
Covenant chipped away at the deficit in the second inning, as Ryan MacLellan hit an RBI triple to get their squad on the board. The Bishops threatened again in the fourth, as
Luke Johnson sat on third with just one away. However, an inning-ending double play stalled the rally. In the top of the sixth,
Henry Isaacs walked and stole second, which paved the way for
Josh Bercaw to bring him in to tack on an insurance run. A leadoff solo shot in the seventh gave the Scots a glimmer of hope, but the Bishops quickly slammed the door to seal the 6-2 game-one win.
Zane Vitense (1-1) pitched a gem, tossing four strong innings with four strikeouts, four hits, and just one run allowed. Freshman
Marcus Suwinski came in relief, earning his first save by throwing the final three innings, allowing three hits and one run while punching out one.
Moone led the offense once again, recording one hit, scoring once, and drawing a walk.
Bercaw went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Snyder was the only other Bishop with a hit, going 1-for-3.
Coyler scored once and recorded an RBI.
Isaacs, Newman, and Spencer all scored a run.
Johnson tallied one RBI.
Isaacs stole two bags, while Coyler and Moone each swiped one.
GAME TWO: OHIO WESLEYAN 11, COVENANT 0
Ohio Wesleyan left absolutely no doubt in the series finale, dominating the Scots from the first pitch to the final out in an eight-inning mercy rule victory. The squad took a lead in the first inning once again, as
Alex Snyder brought
Michael Malone across with an RBI double. Two batters later, Snyder scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Later in the inning OWU loaded the bases with two away, but ultimately left the runners stranded.
Henry Isaacs made it 3-0 after blasting a solo shot to left center in the third inning, the first of his career. Freshman
Nik Hilton got in on the action in the sixth, launching his first collegiate home run to keep the offense rolling.
Zane Vitense extended the Ohio Wesleyan advantage to six a few batters later, ripping a two-RBI double to left field that plated both Malone and
Colton Moone.
A three-run seventh inning padded the OWU lead. Hilton drove in a run with a single before coming around to score alongside
Luke Johnson on a Covenant error. The Bishops added two more in the eighth after a two-run single from Isaacs, making it a commanding 11-0. The Scots couldn't crack the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame, triggering the run rule and sealing a dominant 11-0 victory for the Bishops after eight innings.
Grant Castle started on the mound for the Bishops, going four innings and giving up just two hits while punching out one. Tyler Matthews (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win after throwing two hitless innings and striking out one.
Hank Holman closed it out, tossing the final two innings.
Isaacs led the offense with an impressive four-hit performance, going 4-for-5 including a home run while driving in three RBI and scoring twice.
Malone went 3-for-3, scoring two runs and drawing two walks.
Nate Coyler finished 3-for-5 and scored once.
Hilton went 2-for-5–including a home run–drove in two RBI, and came around to score twice.
Vitense had two hits, finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored.
Johnson was the final Bishop with a muti-hit game, going 2-for-5 and scoring once.
Snyder filled out the stat sheet, tallying a hit, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.
Marcus Suwinski recorded a hit and drew two walks.
Moone finished with a walk and run scored.
Coyler, Snyder, and Vitense all recorded a stolen base for the Bishops.
UP NEXT
The Bishops return to the diamond on Friday, as they head to Lancaster, Ohio, for a doubleheader against Ohio Christian and Roosevelt University. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m, respectively.
