DELAWARE, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan University baseball team took the field for two final times on Saturday and Sunday, hosting a weekend set with 16th-ranked Wittenberg. The Battling Bishops dropped game one on Saturday 14-5 but bounced back to walk off game two on Sunday 4-3.
It was certainly a special weekend for the Bishops' seniors as an originally scheduled senior day doubleheader on Saturday turned into a whole senior weekend with a game being moved to Sunday. The senior day ceremony went on as scheduled before the game on Saturday as OWU honored
Blake Pettit,
Jack Bates,
Hank Holman,
Matt Spencer,
Parker Tomlin,
Zane Vitense,
Carter Vilevac,
Colton Moone, and
Alex Snyder for their contributions to the program over the last four years.
The group got an extra special sendoff on Sunday as the seniors set up a walkoff win. Snyder put the winning run on with a double off the top of the wall – nearly ending it then and there – before being pinch-run for by Bates. Spencer brought it all together, scoring Bates with a walkoff double to end the season.
Ohio Wesleyan finishes the season at 14-24-1 with a 3-12-1 record in the NCAC. Wittenberg heads into the NCAC Tournament at 29-9 overall with a 12-4 conference record.
GAME ONE: OHIO WESLEYAN 5, WITTENBERG 14
Wittenberg got up quick in game one on Saturday with two runs in the first and six in the second to take an early 8-0 lead.
Blake Pettit singled home
Matt Spencer for OWU's first run in the bottom of the second, followed by a pair of RBI singles by
Zane Vitense and Spencer in the third to add two more and make it 8-3.
The Red and Black tacked on another two in the fifth inning to close the gap to three at 8-5. First Spencer put a bases-loaded single up the middle to plate
Colton Moone. Then
Carter Vilevac sent a sacrifice fly to right to allow
Marcus Suwinski to score.
Unfortunately, that was it on the scoreboard for Ohio Wesleyan. The Bishops walked away empty handed in the remainder of the game, the closest threat coming with two on and two out in the eight. On the other side, the Tigers tallied four more in the seventh and another two in the ninth to take the final scoreline to 14-5.
Hank Holman (L, 1-2) got the senior day start, going 4.1 innings and being hit with eight earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out one.
Nate Cory (2.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) and
J.J. Earley (2.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB) pitched the middle innings before
Tyler Mathews (0.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 SO) finished it off.
Spencer drove in two and scored one on his first career 4-for-4 day that included a double and three singles.
Vitense scored one and drove in one, reaching twice while going 1-for-3 with a single, a walk, and a stolen base.
Moone scored twice and went 1-for-4 with a two-bagger.
Blake Pettit hit 1-for-4 with an RBI single.
Carter Vilevac had one RBI on a sac fly.
Snyder and Suwinski were both 1-for-5 with singles. Suwinski scored a run.
GAME TWO: OHIO WESLEYAN 4, WITTENBERG 3
Game two on Sunday was a classic low-scoring affair. Wittenberg opened the scoring with a lone run in the third to take a 1-0 lead. The Battling Bishops bounced ahead 2-1 with two runs in the fifth thanks to a pair of leadoff doubles by
Colton Moone and
Alex Snyder, and a passed ball.
The Tigers inched back ahead with a run in the sixth and another in the eighth to make it 3-2. After a three-up three-down top half, the Red and Black rallied for a two-run walkoff double in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 4-3 season-finale win.
Tyler Mathews started it off with a pinch-hit walk before
Henry Isaacs came in to pinch run. Next, Snyder nearly ended it with a ball that hit off the top of the wall, ultimately ending in a double that put runners on second and third with no outs. Then Vitense walked to load the bases. Finally,
Matt Spencer played hero with a two-run double to center field to end it.
Grant Castle got the start and went 6.0 innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and one walk with a strikeout.
Cam McKenzie came in for the seventh, pitching a hitless one-run inning with a walk.
Marcus Suwinski (W, 2-1) earned the win with the final 2.0 innings pitched scoreless, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.
Snyder and Spencer both recorded 3-for-5 outings with two doubles. Spencer drove in two runs – including the game-winner – while Snyder drove in one and scored one.
Nate Colyer went 2-for-4 at the plate with two singles.
Colton Moone nabbed a double and a run scored on a 1-for-4 afternoon.
Isaacs and Bates both scored a run apiece in their ninth-inning pinch-running appearances.
Vitense reached twice, going 1-for-4 with a single and a walk.
Drew Newman was 1-for-2 with a single and a stolen base.
