Case Western Reserve University junior right fielder Nick Harms hit the 22nd home run as a Spartan to match the program's career record, as the Spartans went on to defeat the College of Wooster 9-5 in the team's home opener at Nobby's Ballpark in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.

CWRU improved to 5-2 with the win while Wooster fell to 4-3 following the setback.

Harms broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run opposite field home run over the wall in left-center field, his second of the season. The home run matched former Spartans Gordon Daily (1997-00) and Steve Rosiek (1986-88) for the most over a career in program history.

Later in the inning, graduate student third baseman Franco Alonso tripled with two outs to score graduate student first baseman Dane Camphausen, and first-year shortstop Tyler Stillson hit a two-run home run down the leftfield line to extend the Spartans' lead to 5-0 after three innings. CWRU added a run in the fifth on an RBI sacrifice bunt by first-year second baseman Nate Arterburn.

Meanwhile, sophomore Archer Stankowski turned in his second-straight strong start, allowing just one run on three hits with four walks and a career-high eight strikeouts over six innings, leaving the game with a 6-1 CWRU lead after retiring the final seven batters he faced. Wooster scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but senior Tyler Horvath induced an inning-ending double play with the tying runs on the basepaths. CWRU got a run back in the seventh on an RBI single by Arterburn and plated two more in the eighth on an error that allowed graduate student center fielder Jack Anderson to score and an RBI single from Camphausen. Wooster scored a pair of runs in the ninth to trim the Spartans' lead to four runs, but Horvath was able to hold on to record his first save of the campaign and 13th of his career, tying him with former Spartans Jose Vega (2011-13) for the third-most in program history.

Stankowski picked up the win in the game, improving to 2-0 on the season and lowering his ERA to 2.45. Wooster starter Jack Spring suffered the loss to fall to 0-1.

Alonso finished the game three-for-four with three runs, an RBI, a stolen base, and a triple. Arterburn added a two-for-two showing at the plate with a pair of RBIs, while Camphausen and Stillson each picked up a pair of his in the game.

The Spartans will now turn their attention toward their Spring Break trip to Lexington, South Carolina, where the team will play seven games in as many days at Lexington County Stadium. CWRU will open play in Lexington against 24th-ranked Arcadia University on Saturday, March 9 at 5:00 p.m.