WHITEWATER, Wis. – Despite eight strong innings from senior pitcher Jarrett Gish (Jupiter, Fla./Suncoast), the Case Western Reserve University baseball team fell to host and No. 5 nationally-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater by a score of 2-0 in game three of the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional under the lights of James B. Miller Stadium.
The fourth-seeded Spartans (27-13) will now face an elimination game tomorrow afternoon versus No. 6 seed The College St. Scholastica (Minn.) who upset top-seeded St. Thomas University (Minn.) in game one. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. (CDT).
The Warhawks (35-7), seeded third, advance to play their rival, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, in tomorrow's 6:00 p.m. (CDT) contest.
Gish (7-1), the reigning University Athletic Association Player of the Year, allowed just the two earned runs on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. For the season, the left-hander's earned run average sits at 1.98.
Right-hander Tom Kerndt (8-1) out-dueled Gish with nine shutout innings on two hits, five walks and five strikeouts.
The teams went scoreless until the last of the seventh inning, and it wasn't until the sixth that either side generated a major threat. In the top of the frame, Spartan sophomore third baseman Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) was hit by a pitch then moved to third via a two-base error on a hard bouncing grounder off the bat of senior second baseman Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge). However, the ensuing at-bat resulted in a groundout before a line shot to left center by junior designated hitter Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) was hauled in by Warhawk leftfielder JT Schneider for the third out.
The bottom of the inning began with a fly out, but the hosts utilized a walk and a bunt single by Jared Fon to put runners at first and second. Cleanup hitter Marty Herum then stepped to the plate and sent a shot to deep right center that was run down by junior rightfielder Jordan Dague (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) for the second out. One batter later, miscommunication by the Warhawks led to Fon being retired in a rundown.
In the bottom of the seventh, the hosts finally broke through as Mikole Pierce led off with a walk and scored two batters later when a sinking double off the bat of Steve Bartlein caromed off the glove of diving sophomore centerfielder William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne).
The Spartans had one more significant opportunity to get on the board in the top of the eighth as two walks and an error loaded the bases with two out. Kerndt was able to get out of the jam, however, with a swinging strikeout.
The Warhawks then added an insurance score thanks to an RBI double by Herum that was kept in the park by a leaping effort from sophomore leftfielder Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban).
Herrum (2-for-4, RBI) was the game's top performer at the plate.