CLEVELAND – Senior captain Ray Kelly (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) threw four nearly perfect innings of relief in game two as the No. 21 nationally ranked Case Western Reserve University baseball team completed a 4-0 weekend with a doubleheader sweep of Bethany College (W. Va.) on Sunday afternoon at Nobby's Ballpark.
The Spartans (23-7) were victorious versus the Bison (12-9) by scores of 10-6 and 8-4.
Kelly (4-1) entered the second game with his team trailing in the top of the fourth. He struck out the side in that inning and did not allow a hit or a run for his entire outing. The lone runner to reach on the left-hander reached on an error.
Offensively, junior outfielder Will Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) went a combined 4-for-6 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Junior third baseman Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) also collected four hits in nine at-bats with three RBI, while junior catcher Jordan Swisher (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) and sophomore first baseman Zack Tobias (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) each homered. Junior second baseman/first baseman Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) drove in five runs for the day.
In game one, the Spartans erased a 1-0 deficit with four runs in third and five in the fourth. Cain and Swisher accounted for the runs in the third with a two-run single and two-run homer, respectively. The fifth featured Tobias' three-run bomb to left. Bethany did most of its damage late with two in the fifth and three in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Jake Shields (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross Senior) improved to 5-1 with two earned runs allowed and six strikeouts in five innings of work. Junior Eddie Abramson (Maitland, Fla./Winter Park) recorded the final out of the game for his first save.
Meador was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Freshman catcher Eric Eldred (Tecumseh, Mich./Tecumseh) and freshman outfielder Antonio Damiano (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast) each finished 2-for-3.
The Bison were led at the plate by Zack Miller, who was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Cory Kotopka (0-1) took the loss in his first appearance on the mound.
In game two, Bethany held a 3-0 lead until the bottom of the third when Gronski provided an RBI single and Cain hit a sacrifice fly. Riding the momentum of Kelly's first inning, the Spartan offense scored six times in the fourth to grab an 8-4 lead. Meador, Swisher and sophomore second baseman Mike Ilacqua (Mayfield Village, Ohio/University School) all provided RBI singles.
Offensively, Gronski finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Cain was 2-for-2 with a pair of sacrifice flies.
Dylan Wassel went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs for the visitors. Garrett LaPiana (0-1) pitched the first three innings in the loss.
The Spartans remain at home to host the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburgh on Thursday, April 17 at 4:00 p.m. at Nobby's Ballpark.