WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster drew 12 walks against Wabash College pitching while also spraying 14 hits across Art Murray Field on Sunday, which resulted in a decisive 17-4 win as the Fighting Scots completed a three-game sweep in North Coast Athletic Conference Crossover Series action.
With the victory, Wooster wraps up the regular season at 30-10 overall, including 17-2 in NCAC games, and now looks to make a run at the conference championship later this week.
After spotting Wabash (17-23, 7-12 NCAC) a 3-0 lead on David Oliger's three-run homer in the first inning, the Scots scored 17 unanswered runs.
Wooster first cracked the scoreboard during the third, with a pair of early walks setting up a five-run inning. With two runners on and one out, Michael Wielansky drilled an offering past the third baseman for a double and the initial run. After Jamie Lackner was intentionally walked to load the bases, Ryan Ostendorf drove one into the right-field corner for a three-run triple. Ostendorf came home on a groundout, giving the Scots a 5-3 lead.
Chandler Dippman led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run, marking the freshman's second in as many days.
Wooster broke the game open with a six-run fifth inning. The first three hitters reached safely via free passes – two walks and a hit by pitch – and Jacob Solomon snuck a double inside the left-field line for two runs. A walk loaded the bases again, then the Scots took advantage of a balk for another score and Dippman came through with a sharp two-run single up the middle. Joey Gilmore added an RBI base knock before the inning was through to make it a 12-3 game.
In the sixth, the Scots took advantage of a series of infield hits for a run, and the four-run seventh featured back-to-back doubles by Wielansky and Lackner.
On the mound, Tyler Schuch steadied himself after the rough first inning and threw a quality start, going six innings with just the three runs allowed on three hits. He now sports a 7-1 record.
Wielansky (2-for-5), Ostendorf (2-for-3), Drew Tornow (2-for-3), and Dippman each had two hit-outings, while Lackner reached safely four times in five plate appearances with three walks and the double.
Wooster will open the NCAC Tournament on Thursday versus Ohio Wesleyan University (27-12), with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. The tourney will take place at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
