Case Western Reserve University pitchers combined to strike out 25 hitters over 18 innings of work on Saturday, as the Spartans swept a season-opening doubleheader against the Hiram College Terriers, winning the first game 9-2, followed by a 6-5 victory in the second contest.

Returning to the field for the first time since March 12, 2020, and playing at Nobby's Ballpark for the first time since the end of the 2019 campaign, the Spartans offense pounded out 23 hits over the two contests, including a five-for-10 performance at the plate for sophomore first baseman Jonathan Simon, a four-for-nine day for senior catcher Jake Ryan, and three RBIs from sophomore second baseman Nick Talarico and senior shortstop Jacob Lott.

The Spartans opened their season with a 2-0 record following the wins, while Hiram dropped to 2-2 with the loss.

Game 1: CWRU 9, Hiram 2
Junior left-handed pitcher Nick Denove matched his career high with nine strikeouts in six innings of work, and CWRU sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run fourth inning, as the Spartans triumphed 9-2 over the Terriers in the opening game of the doubleheader.

Denove allowed just one run on four hits and two walks in the outing, earning the win to improve to 1-0 on the year. The one run against Denove came in the second inning, as the Terriers took a lead they would hold until the bottom of the fourth.

CWRU broke through in the fourth, scoring five runs on six hits during the frame against Hiram starter Ben Gustely. Lott turned one-run deficit into a one-run lead with a one-out two-RBI triple, scoring sophomore right fielder Flynn Lenahan and Simon. First-year designated hitter Justin Zachery added a run on a sacrifice fly to plate Lott, while Talarico added a run on a double later in the inning and scored a run of his own on an error, giving CWRU a 5-1 advantage.

The Spartans added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Simon and a single by first-year third baseman Zack Carinci. CWRU capped off their scoring in the seventh when Simon scored on a throwing error and Talarico drove in a run on a single, taking a 9-1 advantage over the Terriers.

First-year Tyler Horvath made his collegiate debut on Saturday, closing out the game with three strong innings in relief of Denove. He allowed one run on a hit and a walk and amassed four strikeouts, picking up the save in the contest. The 13 combined strikeouts by Denove and Horvath were the third-most ever in a single game by a CWRU pitching staff.

CWRU totaled 14 hits in the early game, led by a three-for-five performance by Simon, including a pair of doubles, and two hits a piece for Ryan, Carinci and Talarico.

Gustely suffered the loss for Hiram, dropping to 0-1 on the year.

Game 2: CWRU 6, Hiram 5
CWRU battled back from an early 3-0 deficit, and held off Hiram late for a 6-5 win in the second game of the day.

Senior right-handed pitcher Matt Levine settled in after allowing three runs on three hits in the opening inning of the game, allowing just one unearned run on one hit over his final four innings, while striking out a career-high eight batters in the no-decision.

CWRU responded to Hiram's scoring outburst in the top of the first with two runs of its own in its half of the inning, as senior left fielder Benjamin Stawicki scored on a fielder's choice hit into by junior centerfielder Cole Jarrett, and Lenahan crossed the plate on an RBI single by Simon. After the Terriers added a run in the third to extend their lead to 4-2, the Spartans evened the score in the bottom of the frame, pulling within a run when Jarrett scored on a groundout and tying the game at 4-4 on an RBI single by sophomore second baseman Trey Haley that scored Lott.

With the score tied, senior right-handed pitcher Tony Smodilla entered the game, keeping Hiram off the board for the next three innings. In the sixth, Lenahan gave CWRU the lead for good with a one-out RBI double that drove in Stawicki, and the Spartans added a run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Talarico.

Hiram threatened in the ninth, putting runners at first and third with nobody out. However, Smodilla induced a ground ball double play, and an interference call during the play prevented a run from scoring from third. Carinci would replace Smodilla on the mound with two outs, and after allowing a run scoring double, recorded the final out of the game on a fly ball to right.

Smodilla picked up the win in relief, allowing the one run on four hits and striking out four, while failing to walk a batter in the contest. Carinci earned the save in the game.

Ryan, Simon and Haley each had two of the Spartans' nine hits in the game, with Haley going two-for-two with a walk.

Hiram's Jacob Kocuba was saddled with the loss, dropping to 0-1 on the year.

Case Western Reserve will be back in action next weekend with a home-and-home series with Denison University. The Spartans will face the Big Red in a doubleheader in Granville, Ohio on Saturday, March 20, before returning home to Cleveland for a doubleheader on Sunday. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for noon starts.