PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Senior first baseman Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) went a combined 6-for-8 at the plate, and senior pitcher Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) tied the program's career wins record as the Case Western Reserve University baseball team split a doubleheader at St. John Fisher College on Sunday afternoon at Dugan Yard. The Spartans, who won two out of three in the weekend series, lost the opener, 3-1, but bounced back to win game two, 8-4.
With the split, the Spartans move to 17-8 overall heading into a season-long home stand. The Cardinals sit at 15-9.
All six of Ossola's hits on the day were singles. The senior captain also scored once and drove in a run.
Hora's victory in game two gives him 21 for his career (21-6 overall) to tie Lance Sparks' (1992-95) school record.
After a scoreless first inning in the opener, the Spartans picked up a run in the second as junior third baseman Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) singled and came around to score later in the frame when senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) drew a bases-loaded walk. However, the Spartans left a combined five runners on base in the first two frames, and the Cardinals responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second on a Matt Creenan RBI double and back-to-back RBI singles from Cody Wiktorski and Ben Bostick.
The hosts had a shot to add to their advantage in the fifth, but Spartan junior left-hander Ray Kelly (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) came out of the bullpen and induced a fly out to strand runners at second and third.
The Spartans threatened the Cardinal lead in the sixth and seventh but left two runners on in each inning as the game ended 3-1 in favor of the hosts. Combined, the visitors stranded 11 runners in the game.
Case finished with six hits and four walks, but St. John Fisher All-American pitcher Justin D'Amato (5-0) was able to dance out of trouble on several occasions in his six innings. Shawn Corrigan recorded the final two outs for his first save.
Sophomore starter Kevin Johnstone (Placentia, Calif./Valencia) lasted just 1.2 innings and took the loss as one of five Spartans to pitch in the game.
At the plate, Ossola was 3-for-4, while Frey finished 2-for-3.
Bostick (2-for-4) and Wiktorski (2-for-3) were the only Cardinal batters to record multiple hits.
In game two, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no out in the second but only scored once as Hora sandwiched a strikeout with two fly outs.
The Spartans then tied the score in the third when sophomore centerfielder William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) reached on a fielder's choice to plate Frey.
An inning later, Ossola gave his team its first lead of game two with an RBI single that drove home senior second baseman Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge). Pakan set the score up with a single and a stolen base.
In the fifth, Meador drove home his second run with a single that brought home sophomore leftfielder Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban).
St. John Fisher rallied and tied the score in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-run single by Brad Rush.
Undaunted, Case moved right back in front and put the game away with a five-run sixth-inning. Frey drove home the first run with a single before sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) scored on a balk. Meador picked up another RBI single two batters later, and Keen put the icing on the cake with a two-out, two-run single.
Freshman Connor Tagg (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) would allow one more run in the bottom of the sixth on a Ben Bostick RBI single, but he got out of the inning with a groundout to set up sophomore right-hander Daniel Sondag (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) for the final inning.
For the game, Ossola was once again 3-for-4, while Frey and Winemiller were each 2-for-4.
Bostick and Rush were each 3-for-4 for St. John Fisher.
The Spartans are scheduled to play seven games in just six days next week beginning with a make-up doubleheader versus Oberlin College. That twinbill is slated for Tuesday with the time and location to be determined, but it is likely the games will be moved to Wednesday, April 17.
As a result, the single game versus John Carroll University currently scheduled for Wednesday would be moved.
Stay tuned to athletics.case.edu for updates.