WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster baseball team clinched its spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament with a 12-2 win over Hiram College, then junior first baseman Ryan Kramer hit his third homer of the day as part of a game-two 9-6 win on Tuesday at Art Murray Field.
Wooster (22-14, 11-3 NCAC) broke its Chillicothe Week-clinching game-one win wide open with a seven-run fifth inning. Senior center fielder Leo Widtmann's two-run double plated first-year second baseman Maanav Bhatt and junior catcher Colin Leslie, who singled to right and doubled to left, respectively, earlier in the inning. Kramer followed Widtmann's double up with the first of two home runs in game one. Senior left fielder Ben Carroll's two-run single to left field made it 9-2, then Bhatt roped an RBI double down the left field line to cap the inning with his second hit of the frame.
Wooster scored twice more in the sixth, first on Kramer's solo homer, then on first-year shortstop Luke Rizzo's single to right field. Earlier, Bhatt's leadoff double in the third inning was the first of a season-high nine hits for extra bases for the Scots. Bhatt scored on Leslie's ground out. Rizzo's first collegiate homer gave Wooster a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
Sophomore Michael Scarpelli (6-1) went the distance, allowing two runs on 10 hits in his seven innings. Wooster's defense was sharp behind him. Pett started an around-the-horn inning-ending double play in the second inning. Later, senior right fielder Alex Gerdenich's cannon of an arm erased Caisson Mars' bid to go first to third on a shallow Hiram single.
Jacob Koces was the losing pitcher for Hiram (12-22-1, 4-10 NCAC), falling to 1-5. Koces allowed 10 runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Kramer's power surge in game two was immediately followed by senior third baseman Nick Pett, who nailed the first pitch from Hiram's Owen Cooper well beyond the Art Murray fence in right for his second round tripper of the game. Pett's sixth homer of the season made it 9-4 in the seventh.
Wooster's game-two lightning strike came shortly before an actual storm caused a 90-minute delay. The Scots' three-run fifth inning broke a 4-4 tie. Widtmann cruised into third on a triple down the right field line and scored the go-ahead run when Kramer smacked a single through the left side. Pett jolted the lead to the tune of two runs with a two-run homer that left Art Murray in right field.
Wooster led 4-2 after three in game two. Widtmann provided the power surge with a two-run homer to right, which scored Leslie, who singled to right center to start the inning. Hiram answered right back to tie the game at four. Nate Thomas doubled down the left field line, bringing home Luke Snider and Ethan Ryan, who singled earlier in the inning.
Sophomore Constantine Vernadakis (3-1) worked 2 2/3 innings of three-hit shutout baseball, during which he struck out three, before the storm knocked the right-hander from the game. First-year James MacMillan worked three innings for the save. He struck out three.
Nicholas Chernitsky (4-5) took the loss. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in six innings.
Wooster, which had seven homers in the sweep, had 14 hits go for extra bases. Wooster's middle infield, consisting of Bhatt and Rizzo, went a combined 10-for-15 with five RBI, and four runs. Overall, Wooster had five players with at least four hits on the day.
Hiram was led by Tyler Fernandez, who was 5-for-9 on the day with three RBI.
Next, Wooster concludes regular season conference play with a Saturday doubleheader at Kenyon College (14-15, 7-7 NCAC). First pitch is set for noon.
