CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Case Western Reserve University baseball team opened the home portion of its 2012 schedule by sweeping visiting Grove City College (Pa.) on Wednesday at Nobby's Ballpark. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines in the opener, 8-7, before completing the sweep in convincing fashion with 10 runs in the opening inning of a 12-3 victory in the nightcap.
The Spartans improve to 12-6 overall with the wins, while the Wolverines dip to 2-10 overall.
In game one, Grove City got on the board with a run in the first as Kyle Shock led off with a double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Jones. The Wolverines added to their advantage in the third with an RBI single off the bat of Evan Hoskinson.
The Spartans responded in the bottom of the third with four runs on three hits and two errors.
Senior left fielder Jimmy Abed (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) reached on an error, moved to third on a double by senior second baseman Bobby Marko (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush), and scored on a fielder's choice by junior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge). Junior first baseman Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) then brought home Marko with a sacrifice fly before freshman designated hitter Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) drove home a pair with an opposite-field double.
Case added three more in the fourth with an RBI triple by Marko, an RBI single by Keen and a sacrifice fly by junior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge), but Grove City answered with five in the top of the fifth thanks to three Spartan errors. Mason McFeaters, Josh Sacks and Zach Struharik each drove in runs during the rally.
The Spartans moved back on top with the eventual winning run in their half of the fifth when senior outfielder Sam Alexander (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) pinch hit and drove an RBI single down the left field line to plate senior catcher Peter Zak (Brookline, Mass./Brookline).
On the mound, freshman Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) threw one inning of perfect relief with two strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win. Sophomore closer Jose Vega (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) recorded his sixth save of the spring striking out one and walking one in the ninth.
Junior left-hander Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) started and left with a five-run lead, but got the no decision, allowing two earned runs in four innings with five strikeouts.
In the nightcap, the Spartan offense came out swinging providing all of the offense that junior starting pitcher Jarrett Gish (Jupiter, Fla./Suncoast) would need in the first inning. After Gish retired the Wolverines in order, Case posted a season-high run total for an inning with 10 on six hits and a Grove City error highlighted by a two-run double to left field off the bat of sophomore outfielder Jordan Dague (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton).
Case tacked on a single run in the third on an RBI single from Alexander that plated Keen, who was hit by a pitch. The Spartan scoring was capped off by a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from sophomore infielder Eric Mann (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick).
The Wolverines got on the scoreboard with three runs in the top of the sixth inning.
At the plate for the Spartans, Winemiller, the catcher in game two, was 2-for 2 with a run scored and an RBI, while Keen was 1-for-2 with three runs scored.
On the hill, Gish notched up his second win of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out six in four innings of work.
The Spartans have a few days off before returning to the field on Saturday, March 24 in Tiffin, Ohio to battle regional-rival Heidelberg University. First pitch of the non-conference twinbill is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.