CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Case Western Reserve University baseball team picked up a pair of key regional wins on Saturday at VA Memorial Stadium. The Spartans defeated Wabash College (Ind.) in the day's first game by a 10-5 score, and came back in the afternoon to edge The College of Wooster, 3-2.
The Spartans (19-10-1 overall) are unbeaten in five-straight games with three-consecutive wins.
In game one, Wabash (13-15) scored once with an out in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by John Holm. The Little Giants' tally ended Spartan junior left-hander Jarrett Gish (Jupiter, Fla./Suncoast) and his scoreless inning streak at 25. From there, it was all Spartans with two runs in the second and six more in the third. Sophomore infielder Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) provided a two-run single in inning number two, while six different Spartans drove in runs in the third. Junior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge), senior catcher Peter Zak (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) and senior designated hitter Bobby Marko (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush) all recorded RBI doubles in the frame.
Wabash closed the gap to 8-4 in the fourth with three runs on four hits, but Gish would settle in from there and not allow another run until the ninth. Case added two more to its tally with single runs in the sixth and seventh thanks to an RBI single from senior outfielder Sam Alexander (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) and a solo homer by freshman utility player Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson).
Gish threw all nine innings for his first complete game of the season. The reigning University Athletic Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Pitcher of the Week allowed five earned runs on 10 hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts.
At the plate, Frey tied career-bests with four hits and three runs batted-in during five at-bats. Gronski was 2-for-5 with his second homerun and two RBI, while Marko, junior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge), Zak and sophomore outfielder Jordan Dague (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) each collected two hits.
Versus Wooster (11-10), Case got off to a quick start as Alexander knocked a single up the middle to plate Pakan and Keen. Both sides then scored single runs in the third with Wooster picking up a solo homer from Michael DeBord, and the Spartans scoring when Alexander doubled, moved to third on an error and scored on a balk. That run would prove to be crucial as Wooster would score once more in the fourth.
On the mound, freshman Edward Abramson (Maitland, Fla./Winter Park) threw the first 6.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs on 10 hits with one strikeout to earn the win. Sophomore Josh Suvak (Independence, Ohio/Independence) recorded the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run for his first save.
For the game, Pakan was 3-for-4, while Alexander was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Spartans return home for another single game this Tuesday, April 10 versus Wooster at 4:00 p.m. at Nobby's Ballpark in Cleveland.