Case Western Reserve University closed out its Spring Break trip on Sunday with an offensive explosion, scoring 18 runs on as many hits, and three different Spartan pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts during an 18-6 win over Trinity College at the Spartan Southern Classic in Lexington, South Carolina.

The win was the Spartans' second straight and fourth in the last five games, as the team ended its nine-game Spring Break trip with a 6-3 record.  CWRU will head back to Cleveland with an 8-6 overall record, while Trinity suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 3-1 on the year.

Six different Spartan players registered multiple-hit performances, including sophomore leftfielder Jake Ryan, who went three-for-six with three runs, five RBIs a double and his second home run in as many days, tying him for the team lead with three this season.  Sophomore shortstop Jacob Lott added a three-for-five day at the plate, while senior second baseman Rocco Maue, senior third baseman Jacob Kucia, senior catcher Tyler Wypiszenski and sophomore first baseman Benjamin Stawicki each had a pair of hits.  Freshman outfielder Nick Sellitto added a two-run home run, the first of his career.

The Spartans trailed 2-0 early, as Trinity scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first off CWRU freshman starter Willem Bouma.  The Spartans took advantage of two walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the second, tying the game after Stawicki crossed the plate on a wild pitch and junior centerfielder Samuel Neal plated sophomore designate hitter Tre Armstrong on a groundout to short.  The Bantams regained the lead with two more runs in the top of the third, taking a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the third.

The Spartans began the comeback in the third on an RBI single from Stawicki, and then in the fourth, tied the game on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Maue, and took the lead on a run-scoring double from Ryan.  CWRU added two more runs in the fourth, taking a 7-4 lead, and then broke the game open with another four-run frame in the fifth, including a three-run home run by Ryan, taking an 11-4 advantage after five innings.

CWRU junior southpaw Scott Kutschke entered the game in the fourth, and proceeded to throw four innings of shutout baseball, giving up just one hit and striking out seven batters without giving up a walk.

The score remained 11-4 until the top of the eighth.  The Bantams scored a run in the top of the frame against junior Paul Slota, cutting the CWRU lead to six runs, but the Spartans answered with a seven-run inning in the bottom of the eighth, capped off by a two-run home run by Sellitto to put CWRU in front 18-5.  Trinity scored a run in their final at bat, but Slota picked up the final three outs to wrap-up the victory.

Kutschke earned the win in the game, improving to a team-best 3-0 and lowering his earned run average to 0.54.  Will Simeone suffered the loss in his first career start, dropping to 0-1.

The Spartans will now return to Cleveland, beginning an eight-game home stand at Nobby's Ballpark on Saturday, March 23^rd with a doubleheader against Fredonia, starting at noon.