CLEVELAND, Ohio – Junior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) was 2-for-4 with a homerun and the Case Western Reserve University baseball team scored at least once in each of the first five innings in a 9-4 victory versus Heidelberg University on Sunday afternoon at Nobby's Ballpark.
The Spartans improve to 13-8 overall heading into a Tuesday, March 27 home contest versus Otterbein University at 4:00 p.m. Heidelberg drops to 10-8 for the season.
Heidelberg got on the board in the top of the first inning when Elvin Williams Jr. laced a two-out, two-run single to right center. Trevor Oldham then hit a dribbler down the third base line for an RBI infield hit, making the score 3-0.
The Spartans cut into the deficit in their half of the inning with two runs courtesy of an RBI double from Keen and an RBI single from senior outfielder Sam Alexander (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams).
In the second, Case moved ahead for the first time when sophomore outfielder Jordan Dague (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) ripped a two-run double to left field making the score 4-3. The Spartans added to their lead in the third as sophomore infielder Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) dropped a two-run double down the right field line.
In the fourth, the Spartans built the lead to 6-3 as Keen knocked his second homerun of the season, a solo shot, off the left field foul pole. Case picked up another single run in the fifth when senior catcher Peter Zak (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) hit an RBI double to left center.
In the seventh, the Spartans executed a hit-and-run when Frey singled to the right side of the infield to plate Alexander. Then after a double-steal, Zak hit a sacrifice fly to deep left to bring home freshman infielder Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard) to make the score 9-4.
On the mound, junior Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) threw the first eight innings to improve to 5-0 for the season. The left-handed ace allowed four earned runs on six hits with one walk and a career-high nine strikeouts.
Sophomore closer Jose Vega (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) threw the final inning striking out the side.
At the plate, Keen was 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, two runs batted-in and two runs scored. Gronski was 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and three runs scored. Frey was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a steal, while Zak was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run.