FRSOTBURG, Md. – For the third-straight time, the scheduled number of innings were not enough for the Wesley College baseball team and Frostburg State. However, this time around, the Wolverines (25-11) came away with the victory, defeating the Bobcats, 5-3, in 12 innings in the first round of the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament.
With two outs in the 12th inning, senior first baseman Geoff Kimmel (3-for-6, 2 RBIs) hit a two-run triple down the right field line to score Casey Rothwell (2-for-5, two runs, 1 RBI) and Jon Carlson (1-for-6, run scored). The RBIs were Kimmel's team-leading 35th and 36th of the season.
Andrew Cooper (4-1) got the win in relief of DJ Keckler for the Wolverines by allowing just one hit and striking out two in four innings of work. Keckler matched a career-high by fanning ten batters while allowing just two earned runs in eight innings but came away with the no-decision.
Morgan Rupp (1-for-5) got the Wolverines on the board with a home run to lead off the fourth but the Bobcats (19-15) answered in their half of the inning with a run of their own.
Wesley retook the lead with another run in the fifth as Bryan Reshetar (1-for-5) scored on an RBI single up the middle by Rothwell.
After Keckler retired the side in the fifth, FSU was able to tie the game once again in the sixth, but an RBI single by Rob Benedict (2-4, RBI, two steals) in the seventh but the Wolverines back in front.
For the third time of the day, the Bobcats were able to tie it again in the seventh and both teams went scoreless in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings.
Rothwell led off the Wesley half of the 12th by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman. Benedict then sacrificed him over with a bunt back to the pitcher and Carlson's single advanced Rothwell to third. After Rupp was retired, Kimmel then recorded his team-leading third triple of the season to bring in the winning runs.
Cooper allowed a leadoff single in the 12th but retired the next three batters to earn the victory.
Wesley returns to action on Friday, April 20, at 4 pm, when it takes on York (Pa.) in the second round of CAC Tournament at SU Baseball field in Salisbury, Md. The Spartans advanced to the second round by defeating Stevenson, 8-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Jacquet Field.