WESTFIELD, INDIANA- The Wittenberg Baseball team travelled to Westfield, Indiana to play #13 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace for their season opener at Grand Park. Wittenberg came out strong, and not looking back, won 6-1 over Baldwin Wallace.
Senior Nate Floyd (Akron, OH/Copley) started on the mound for the Tigers. Floyd collected 8 strikeouts and walked none while allowing three hits over five innings pitched. Junior Andrew Rust (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman), Sophomore Tommy Anthony (Toronto, Ontario/ Humberside Collegiate Institute), and Senior Charlie Schafer(Beavercreek, OH/Beavercreek) all came in relief over four innings combined while only allowing one run.
It didn't take long for the Tiger bats to come alive, and runs came throughout the game. In the top of the fourth, Junior Tommy Chilicki (Lewis Center, OH/Olentangy) hit a line drive single to left field, scoring one. Sophomore Thatcher Dietz (Westerville, OH/Westerville South), and Junior James MacAuley (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI/Grosse Pointe North) added on with RBI singles of their own in the top of the frame to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. Later in the top of the seventh, Chilicki added on with a RBI single to right field for a 4-0 tiger lead. Towards the end of the game in the top of the nineth, Chilicki added on with his third RBI on the day with a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line to score yet another. Graduate student Parker Gryskevich (Brownsburg, IN/Brownsburg) joined in with a RBI sac-fly to right field to score the tigers 6th and final run of the day.
Throughout the day, the Tigers picked up five steals, ten hits with one being a double, and were able to turn three double plays on the day to keep the Yellow Jackets off the board until the bottom of the ninth where they got their only run of the game.
"What a way to start the season. Fantastic job by our players today showing up ready to go agaisnt a really good program in Baldwin Wallace. Nate Floyd gave us everything we could have asked for in a start and the bullpen crew that came in all did there jobs getting the last 12 outs. Defensively, we were phenomenal. Offensively, we were able to apply pressure and cash in when we needed to agaisnt a very good pitching staff. Tommy Chilicki was impressive with his at bats among others. What a great job by these players and the assistant coaches today to set the tone for the season," Head Coach Mitchell Griffiths said following the game.
The tigers improve to 1-0 in the early season, wheras the Yellow Jackets move to 0-1. The Tigers next game will be against Bethany (W.V) for a double header on Wednsday, February 26th. First Pitch for game one is set for 1:00 PM in Xenia, Ohio at Athletes in Action.