NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Case Western Reserve University baseball team extended its win streak to five games with a doubleheader sweep at Westminster College on Saturday afternoon at Titan Field. The Spartans scored three in the final inning to win game one, 8-6, then capped a 25-hit day at the plate with a 9-1 victory in game two.
The Spartans improve to 14-6 overall heading into tomorrow's home opener versus The College of Wooster. Doubleheader action is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., and prior to first pitch, the program will dedicate its new scoreboard at Nobby's Ballpark with alumnus Nobby Lewandowski on hand for the festivities.
The two losses dropped the Titans to 9-12.
For the day, sophomore rightfielder Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) reached base seven times and was a combined 3-for-5 with four walks and a run batted-in. Sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) and sophomore outfielder Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) were each 4-for-7, while senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) was 4-for-10 with two doubles and three RBI.
In game one, the Titans countered a Spartan run in the first with three in their half of the inning as John Jones, Ty Miller and Jared Heck all hit RBI singles. The Spartans picked up another single tally in the third on a Gronski single then grabbed the lead, 5-3, in the fourth as Keen hit a two-run single, and senior second baseman Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) drove home one with a single.
Two innings later, Westminster took advantage of an error and tied the score, 5-5, as Chris Ross and Heck each drove in runs.
Undaunted, the Spartans regained the lead in the final inning when sophomore outfielder William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) hit a two-run triple to plate freshman pinch runner Marques Winick (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and Cain. Keen then brought Meador home with a single to make the score 8-5.
Sophomore reliever Daniel Sondag (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) inherited a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh but secured his first career save by striking out the side. Junior left-hander Ray Kelly (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute) earned the win out of the bullpen by recording the final out of the sixth.
In game two, the Spartans scored quickly via a first-inning RBI single by senior first baseman Brett Ossola (Potomac, Md./Bullis School). Case added two more in the second and third as well as one in the fifth before blowing the game open with three tallies in the sixth. Cain drove the final two runs home with a triple.
Overall, Cain was 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Gronski walked a career-high three times. Sophomore catcher Jordan Swisher (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
On the mound, senior "southpaw" Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) allowed just one run in six innings to improve to 2-1 for the season.