Case Western Reserve University junior shortstop Rocco Maue and junior catcher Tyler Wypiszenski each hit a two run home run on Tuesday night to help power the Spartans to an 8-1 win over Roger Williams University in Lexington, South Carolina.
The win was the fourth-straight win for the Spartans, who improved to 6-1 overall and to 3-0 at the Spartan Southern Classic. Roger Williams dropped to 1-6 with Tuesday's loss.
Senior right-handed pitcher Ben Murphy did not allow an earned run, en route to earning a win and improving to 1-1 on the year. He scattered eight hits over 5.1 innings, surrendering just one run and walking one batter.
The Spartans took advantage of a pair of errors by the Hawks in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. In the top of the fourth, a two-out single by freshman designated hitter Jake Ryan scored senior right fielder Nate Glasser to extend the lead to 3-0, and Maue's one-out home run over the wall in left field put the Spartans ahead 5-0 in the fifth. It was the first home run of the season for Maue.
Roger Williams scored an unearned run in the sixth off Murphy, but sophomore Scott Kutschke entered the game to get the final two outs of the inning and went on to pitch scoreless frames in the seventh and the eighth. The Spartans would secure the victory in the top of the eighth, pushing the advantage to 6-1 when Glasser scored on a wild pitch, and to 8-1 on a long home run down the left field line by Wypiszenski, his first of the season.
Sophomore Matthew Speitel pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the win for the Spartans.
Sophomore outfielder Samuel Neal and freshman shortstop Jacob Lott each had two of the Spartans' nine hits in the game.
Starting pitcher Sam Bennett took the loss for Roger Williams, dropping to 0-2 on the campaign.
Case Western Reserve and Roger Williams will face off again at the Spartan Southern Classic on Wednesday, March 14th at 2:00 p.m. at Lexington County Baseball Stadium.