The Case Western Reserve University baseball team opened up its 2024 campaign on Friday with a pair of wins in its final at-bat over Washington and Jefferson College, claiming a 10-7 victory in a 13-inning thriller in the first game of the day and a 7-5 win in the late contest in Washington, Pennsylvania.

The Spartans stand at 2-0 with the two wins, while the Presidents fell to 0-3 with the losses.

Making his debut as a Spartan, graduate student third baseman James Powers went five-for-12 over the two games with five runs batted in, while recording the game-tying two-run double in the top of the ninth of the first game and a go-ahead two-run single in the top of the ninth of the late contest. First-year shortstop Tyler Stillson homered in his collegiate debut and finished the day with four hits. Junior right fielder Nick Harms notched the 21st home run of his Spartan career, moving him within one of matching the program record.

Game 1 - CWRU 10, Washington & Jefferson 7 (13 innings)
Harms went three-for-seven with two doubles, four RBIs, and a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 13th inning to help the Spartans complete a thrilling come-from-behind extra-inning 10-7 win in game one of the doubleheader.

The Spartans overcame a pair of three-run deficits in the game, including a 7-4 hole with two outs in the top of the ninth. Down to the team's final out with runners on second and third and the tying run at the plate, graduate student first baseman Dane Camphausen singled to score graduate student catcher Jack Anderson and cut the Presidents' lead to two. Powers followed with a double down the right field line, scoring two runs and tying the score at 7-7.

Neither team would score again until the top of the 13th, when Harms connected for an opposite-field home run over the wall in left-center with one out, giving the Spartans an 8-7 lead. It was the 21st home run of his career, moving him within one of matching the program's career record.

Three batters later, Stillson hit a two-run home run over the wall in left, extending CWRU's advantage to 10-7.

Junior Jackson Brewer worked around a hit and a hit batter to pitch a scoreless bottom of the 13th and secure the win for the Spartans.

CWRU was forced to come from behind earlier in the game as well after the Presidents scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning against CWRU left-handed starter Reece Marley. However, the Spartans responded with four runs in the top of the second, opening the scoring in the inning after junior left fielder Logan Andreyko singled with one out, moved up two bases on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on a sacrifice fly from sophomore second baseman Jasiah Harris. Back-to-back singles by sophomore center fielder Matt Trout and Anderson followed by a walk to senior designated hitter Zack Carinci loaded the bases with two outs for Harms, who turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead with a bases-clearing double, putting the Spartans ahead 4-3 heading into the bottom of the second.

The Presidents tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead with another run in the bottom of the sixth. A two-out, two-run double by Washington and Jefferson's Nolan Lutz in the top of the eighth extended the Presidents' lead to 7-4, setting the scene for the Spartans' second comeback of the day in the top of the ninth.

Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Horvath entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and went on to pitch three and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and three walks while striking out seven. Brewer followed Horvath, checking into the game in the bottom of the 12th, and pitched a pair of scoreless innings to earn the win, allowing one hit and a walk, while striking out two.

Andreyko went four-for-seven in the game with a run scored and Powers added a two-for-seven game with two doubles, two RBIs, a run scored, and a stolen base.

Brendan Cruz took the loss for Washington & Jefferson, falling to 0-1 on the year.

The game was the Spartans' first extra-inning contest in a season opener since 2018 when CWRU bested Washington & Jefferson 7-2 in 11 innings.

Game 2 - CWRU 7, Washington & Jefferson 5
Camphausen, Powers, and Stillson combined for eight of the Spartans' 10 hits in the second game of the day, and Powers' two-run double in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference maker in a 7-5 Spartan win in game two of the doubleheader to complete the sweep.

Hitting in the fourth through sixth in the lineup, Camphausen went two-for-three with three runs, a triple, and two walks, Powers went three-for-five with a double, a stolen base, and three RBIs, and Stillson went three-for-five with a run, an RBI, and a triple.

The Spartans broke through for a run in the top of the second inning when Camphausen tripled to start the inning and scored two batters later on a triple by Stillson. CWRU added on two more runs in the top of the fourth when Andreyko drove in Camphausen with a ground ball and Stillson scored on a sacrifice fly from junior left fielder Jay Smith.

In the fifth, Powers extended the Spartans' lead to 4-0 with a two-out double that scored Camphausen from first base, and in the sixth, Carinci plated a run with a fielder's choice to put CWRU in front 5-0.

CWRU starting pitcher Kyle Gearding held Washington and Jefferson scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when the Presidents struck for five runs, four of which were unearned, to tie the score at 5-5. Gearding, who took a no-decision in the game, allowed just five hits and a walk in his 6.1 innings of work while striking out six batters.

After getting out of the seventh inning first-year Zach Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth to keep the score tied heading into the top of the ninth. Anderson was hit by a pitch to start the frame and moved to third on a base hit by Carinci. After Carinci stole second and Harms struck out, Camphausen was intentionally walked to load the bases for Powers. Powers followed with a base hit into right field, driving in Anderson and Carinci and putting the Spartans in front 7-5.

After catching the first 21 innings of the doubleheader, Anderson moved to the mound for the final inning of the contest, pitching a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in his collegiate pitching debut. Barnes claimed the win in relief in his collegiate debut, allowing just one unearned run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts in his one and two-third innings. Washington & Jefferson's Alex Tomsic took the loss to fall to 0-1.

The Spartans will be back in action on Sunday, returning to Washington, Pennsylvania for games against 25th-ranked Ithaca at 2:30 p.m. and Mount Union at 5:30 p.m.