SANFORD, Fla. - Senior southpaw Jarrett Gish (Jupiter, Fla./Suncoast) improved to 2-0 this spring with a 140-pitch complete-game performance to lead the Case Western Reserve University baseball team to a 6-2 victory versus Washington University-St. Louis on day six of the 2013 University Athletic Association Championship at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 7-3 overall and are now tied atop the Association's standings with Washington-St. Louis at 5-2. Case will play Emory University (Ga.) tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m., while Washington U. will square off with the University of Rochester (N.Y.) on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. With a win tomorrow versus the Eagles, Case would assure itself a share of the championship and would win outright if Washington loses Sunday. If both teams win, they will share the conference title, although the Spartans will have bragging rights with a 2-0 performance versus the Bears this week.
On the mound, Gish allowed just two runs, single tallies in the first and third, on 10 base hits while striking out a season-high eight batters and walking three. This spring, the fourth-year Spartan has a 1.71 earned run average in three appearances, surrendering just four earned runs in 21 innings.
In the top of the first, the Bears got on the scoreboard with a Chris Lowery sacrifice fly to right. Two innings later, Washington increased its lead to 2-0 when Zack Kessinger roped a single down the right field line on the first pitch he saw to plate Kyle Billig.
The Spartans responded to knot the score, 2-2, during the bottom half of the third. Sophomore rightfielder Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) singled through the right side to drive in sophomore designated hitter William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). One batter later, senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge), who walked earlier in the inning, touched home on a Washington miscue.
In the fourth, Case grabbed its first lead of the game when freshman third basemen Mike Ilacqua (Mayfield Village, Ohio/University School) ripped the first pitch he saw into right field to drive in sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School).
Not done yet, Case added a single tally in the fifth when Winemiller singled through the left side of the infield scoring Keen. Case continued to ride the offensive momentum and added the final two runs of the game in the sixth. After Keen was intentionally walked to load the bases, Gronski went to the opposite field and recorded a two-run single down the left field line driving home Ilacqua and Meador.
That proved to be all the offensive output Gish needed as the Spartans hung on for the four-run victory.
Offensively, Gronski was 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks and matched a career-high with three RBI. Winemiller also had a strong day at the plate going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Max Gordon (1-1) took the loss on the hill for the Bears, allowing four runs, three of them earned, on three hits with six walks.
Goldstick went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two doubles at the plate for Washington.