The Case Western Reserve University baseball team picked up a 6-2 win over Oglethorpe University at Anderson Field in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday afternoon to complete a two-game sweep of the Stormy Petrels.
The win was the fourth straight for the Spartans, who improved to 4-3 overall on the year. Oglethorpe dropped to 5-11 on the campaign with the loss.
Freshman southpaw Nick Denove picked up the first win of his collegiate career, improving to 1-1 on the campaign with the victory. The starter scattered eight hits and two walks over six innings on the mound, but allowed just one run and struck out three batters.
For the second-straight day, the Spartans started off quickly, scoring four runs in the first inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, sophomore right fielder Benjamin Stawicki singled to centerfield to plate sophomore left fielder Jake Ryan, and give CWRU a 1-0 lead. One batter later, freshman designated hitter Nathan Shapiro hit his first career home run, sending a ball over the wall in left to increase the Spartans' lead to 4-0.
The score held until the third inning, when senior catcher Tyler Wypiszenski added to the CWRU advantage with a one-out solo home run to left field, his first of the campaign. The Stormy Petrels got on the board with an RBI fielder's choice in the sixth inning, but CWRU increased its buffer back to five runs on a sacrifice fly by senior second baseman Rocco Maue, putting the Spartans in front 6-1.
Junior left-handed pitcher Scott Kutschke entered the game in the seventh, and pitched a pair of scoreless innings, before Oglethorpe scored a run off him in the ninth and loaded the bases with two outs. However, senior lefty Corey Brown entered the game, retiring the final batter on a ground out to first base to end the game and secure his second save of the year.
CWRU finished the game with seven hits, including a two-for-four day at the plate with three RBIs for Shapiro, and a two-for-four performance for Stawicki.
Oglethorpe starter Jackson Harrell took the loss for the Stormy Petrels, dropping to 0-1 on the campaign.
Case Western Reserve will now head north to Lexington, South Carolina for the 2019 Spartan Southern Classic at Lexington Country Stadium. The Spartans open play at the tournament on Tuesday, March 12th with a doubleheader against Roger Williams University, starting at 2:00 p.m.