Spartans Split with Denison Behind Morris Gem

The Case Western Reserve University baseball team earned a split of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Nobby's Ballpark in Cleveland, Ohio, losing 4-0 in the opening contest before bouncing back with a 4-1 win in the late game behind a well-pitched game from sophomore pitcher Jackson Morris.

By salvaging the final game of the four-game weekend series, the Spartans moved back to .500 for the year with a 3-3 record. Denison now stands at 3-1 following Sunday's split.

Game 1 – Denison 4, CWRU 0
Despite solid pitching performances from a pair of first-year hurlers, the Spartans were unable to mount any offense in a 4-0 loss to Denison in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader.

First-year left-handed pitcher Reece Marley made his collegiate debut and held the Big Red to just one run over the first five innings, giving up a solo home run to Danny Alvarez in the third. The score remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Denison plated three additional runs against Marley to extend their lead to 4-0.

Marley allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in the game, while striking out six batters. First-year Tyler Horvath added a strong relief appearance, holding Denison to one hit and two walks while striking out a pair over three-and-two-thirds shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 1.35 over his two appearances this season.

However, Charlie Fleming held the Spartans' bats in check for most of the day, keeping CWRU scoreless on five hits and a walk over 7.1 innings, while striking out 12 batters. CWRU's best chance came in the bottom of the eighth, when first-year left fielder Matthew DuBois drew a one-out walk, and sophomore pinch hitter RJ Christie and senior shortstop Jacob Lott followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. But Denison relief pitcher Caleb Struewing was able to get a foul out and a strikeout to end the threat and retired the Spartans in order in the ninth to notch his first save of the season.

Fleming earned the win in the game to improve to 1-0 on the year, while Marley took the loss to fall to 0-1.

Game 2 – CWRU 4, Denison 1
Making the first start of his collegiate career, Morris pitched the Spartans to a much-needed 4-1 victory in the late contest. The sophomore righty delivered seven and a third strong innings on the mound, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four batters to pick up the victory and improve to 1-0 on the campaign.

The Spartans took the lead in the third inning of the game without the benefit of a hit. First-year third baseman Zack Carinci started a two out rally by reaching on an error, and three-straight walks to sophomore first baseman Jonathan Simon, sophomore designated hitter Nick Talarico and sophomore right fielder Flynn Lenahan put the team ahead 1-0.

Denison tied the game with a run in the top of the fifth, but Lenahan gave the Spartans the lead back in the bottom of the frame, driving in Carinci with a double, and extending his hitting streak to 11 games. CWRU extended its lead in the bottom of the sixth, as sophomore catcher Trevor McCraw drove in Lott with a single for his first collegiate hit and RBI, and later scored a run of his own on a sacrifice fly by Carinci.

Morris left the game with one out and two on in the eighth inning, but Carinci moved to the mound, retiring all five batters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts, to notch his second save of the campaign.

The Spartans will begin a stretch of six-straight road games next weekend, when the team travels to Springfield, Ohio for a doubleheader at Wittenberg University on Saturday, March 27. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.