SANFORD, Fla. – Freshman righthanded pitcher Edward Abramson (Maitland, Fla./Winter Park) hurled six strong innings on the mound and junior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) went 3-for-5 at the plate leading the Case Western Reserve University baseball team to a 6-4 victory versus the University of Rochester (N.Y.) on Wednesday at the 2012 University Athletic Association Championship at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
The Spartans improve to 8-4 on the season and even their conference record at 2-2.
Case posted three runs on four hits in the home half of the third and was helped out by a Yellowjacket error. Sophomore outfielder Jordan Dague (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) opened the rally reaching on the error and moved to second on a single from sophomore infielder Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor).
With both being moved over to second and third via a sacrifice bunt, Dague scored on a single up the middle from Pakan and Frey touched home on an RBI double to right center off the bat of senior outfielder Sam Alexander (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams). Not done yet, Pakan finished the rally coming home on a an RBI single from junior infielder Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School).
Rochester cut the Spartan lead to one (3-2) with single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, but Abramson extinguished both rallies recording a pair of strikeouts to end the fourth and a punchout for the third out in the fifth.
Case quickly extended its lead to two in the home half of the fifth. Pakan reached on an infield single and came all the way around to score when Alexander hit a ball that was misplayed by the Rochester outfield. An inning later, senior second baseman Bobby Marko (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush) scored the fifth run on a wild pitch.
The Yellowjackets then scored a pair of runs in the top half of the eighth slicing the lead to one (5-4), but sophomore righthander Josh Suvak (Independence, Ohio/Independence) slammed the door on the rally.
Tacking on a bit of insurance, Marko started off the ninth with a single to left field and eventually scored on a two-out RBI single to left off the bat of junior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) giving the Spartans a 6-4 edge.
Senior lefthander A.J. Boshinski (Alpharetta, Ga./St. Pius X) took the ball to start the ninth and retired the Yellowjackets in order for his first career save.
Abramson collects his first collegiate win striking out six and walking just one in his six innings. Senior Cory Smith (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin), sophomore Ray Kelly (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) and Suvak each record two outs before Boshinski posted the save. Stephen Cool (0-1) was tagged with the loss for Rochester.
Case will be back on the field on Thursday, March 15 for two more games beginning with Brandeis University (Mass.) at 2:30 p.m. In the day's second game, CWRU will look to move up in the UAA standings when it battles the Bears of Washington-St. Louis at 6:00 p.m.