CLEVELAND – Sophomore right-handed pitcher Kevin Johnstone (Placentia, Calif./Valencia) threw eight dominant innings in the opener, and senior second baseman Paul Pakan (Tallmadge) went a combined 7-for-9 at the plate with three runs batted-in as the Case Western Reserve University baseball team completed a four-game weekend sweep of DePauw University (Ind.) on Sunday afternoon at Nobby's Ballpark. The Spartans won by scores of 9-2 and 4-3.
The Spartans improve to 22-9 and have won 13 of their last 16 contests, while the Tigers slip to 14-17.
Johnstone (3-3) worked the first eight innings of game one and allowed just one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
Pakan was 3-for-5 in the opener with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. The senior followed with a 4-for-4, two-RBI effort in the nightcap and is now batting .536 (15-for-28) over his last six games.
In the opener, the Spartans got single tallies in both the first and second innings as sophomore designated hitter William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) led off with a walk and scored on a double play in the first then doubled home sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) in the second.
The Tigers sliced the lead in half during the top of the third when JB McCallum led off with a double and scored on a single up the middle from Brendon Pashia.
The score remained 2-1 until the home half to the fifth when the Spartans scored a pair. Senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) took the first pitch he saw and laced a double to right center. After a groundout, Pakan legged out an infield single and advanced a base on a balk. Keen then touched home plate on a groundout, and Pakan put the hosts in front 4-1 on a single off the bat of junior third baseman Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor).
Following a scoreless sixth, the Spartans put the game away with three runs in the seventh as Frey poked a two-run single up the middle and came around to score when Winemiller laced a two-bagger down the left field line.
An inning later, Meador induced a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI groundout by Pakan. The Spartans' final run came when sophomore pinch hitter Jordan Swisher (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) ripped a single up the middle to score sophomore rightfielder Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson).
The Tigers would pick up a single tally in the top of the ninth, but junior righty Sammy Altman (Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood International Charter School) worked out of a jam and secured the victory.
On the mound for DePauw, Jordan Niespodziany (3-2) logged the first six innings and allowed four runs.
In addition to Pakan at the plate, Gronski was also 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, while Frey went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
Runs were tougher to come by in game two, but Case picked up one each in the first and third innings on an RBI fielder's choice by senior first baseman Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) and an RBI single by Pakan.
DePauw tied the score with two in the fifth thanks to a single by Pashia that plated Pat Lyons and Matt Dorsett.
Two innings later, the Spartans scored the eventual winning runs when Keen and Gronski singled, Pakan doubled home one, and Frey drove in another on a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers scored once more on a two-out RBI single by Lyons in the ninth, but sophomore closer Daniel Sondag (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) was able to strike out the final batter on three pitches.
On the mound, junior lefty John Fortunato (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales) posted his fifth-straight solid outing to improve to 4-1. Sondag threw the final 1.2 with a pair of strikeouts for his third save.
Fortunato, who allowed two earned runs with two strikeouts in 7.1 innings, is now 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his last five outings.
Aside from Pakan's 4-for-4 performance, Keen was 3-for-4 with three runs, while Swisher was 2-for-4.
Alex Sroka allowed two earned runs in five innings in a no decision for DePauw, while Brendan Bolander (1-1) took the loss in an inning of relief.
The Spartans return to action with a Tuesday, April 23 doubleheader at John Carroll University.