SANFORD, Fla. - A six-run sixth inning and a dominant relief outing by freshman pitcher Neal Krentz (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) led the way as the Case Western Reserve University baseball team opened the 2013 University Athletic Association Championship with a 7-4 victory versus Emory University (Ga.) on Sunday afternoon at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
The Spartans (3-1, 1-0 UAA) continue their quest for a UAA Championship versus the University of Rochester (N.Y.) tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. Overall, the team plays eight games in seven days in the Sunshine State.
With the loss, the two-time defending UAA Champion Eagles drop to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in Association play.
Krentz (1-0) came on early in relief due to an injury and logged 5.1 innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out four, did not walk a batter on 84 pitches, and surrendered just five hits while inducing a pair of double plays.
Emory got on the board first in the top of the second with a three-hit inning that featured an RBI single from Mark Lindemann and an RBI double by Wes Peacock. The Spartans cut their deficit in half in the fifth when senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) hit a sacrifice fly to plate sophomore designated hitter William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). The run was set up when freshman third baseman Mike Ilacqua (Mayfield Village, Ohio/University School) took an 0-2 pitch and ripped a double down the left field line for his first collegiate hit.
In the sixth, the Spartans kept the pressure on and loaded the bases thanks to back-to-back singles from senior first baseman Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) and sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) along with a walk for junior second baseman Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor). Meador then reached on an error to force home the tying run, and sophomore left fielder Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hogan) hit a two-out, two-run single to put Case on top by a pair. Keen added to the lead with a two-run double of his own before Emory's second error of the inning made the score 7-2.
A pair of Spartan errors in the ninth led to two unearned runs for the Eagles.
On the mound, senior left-hander Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) started and logged the first 3.2 innings before leaving with an injury. Krentz came on with two out in the fourth and pitched out of a jam to swing the momentum in his club's favor.
At the plate, Keen was 2-for-4 with three RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Cain was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Tyler Sprague (3-1) pitched the first 5.2 innings for Emory and took the loss despite allowing only one earned on nine hits.