WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Wittenberg baseball team held on for an 8-6 win over Mount St. Joseph on Tuesday in Spring Break action at Chain of Lakes Park to improve to 2-1 on the season.
The Tigers won by virtue of two runs to break open a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the sixth and overcoming an error that allowed a run in the eighth to hold on for the win.
Mount St. Joseph got off to a quick start with a three-run first inning, but Wittenberg responded with two in the bottom half of the frame and one run over each of the next three innings.
The scoring streak started with an RBI single by sophomore Dalton Boucher (Granville, Ohio/Granville) to score senior Zac Wilson (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton) in the first after Wilson swiped third base. Sophomore Josh Kaplan (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) followed that with an RBI groundout that scored Boucher.
Wilson grounded out to drive sophomore Jon Ellerbrock (Tipp City, Ohio/Bethel) across in the second before junior Will Cousins (Medfield, Mass./Medfield) scored on a passed ball in the third, and sophomore Cal Slusarz (Chesterland, Ohio/West Geauga) rounded out the push with a single in the fourth that scored freshman Erik Olson (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy).
Mount St. Joseph scored a run in the fifth and sixth innings to tie things back up and 5-5, but the Tigers took advantage of a series of miscues by MSJ to put the Tigers back on top for good in the sixth. Facing a fresh pitcher for the Lions, Olson and Wilson both drew walks and moved up one base each when Slusarz laid down a sacrifice. Cousins came to the plate with two outs and hit the ball to the shortstop, but an error allowed both Wilson and Olson to score the definitive runs.
In the eighth, MSJ managed a run, but the Tigers got it right back in the bottom of the inning after Wilson walked again and scored on a single by Boucher.
Wilson finished the game 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, a sacrifice and three runs scored, while Boucher was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Olson had a fine game with a 2-for-3 line and two runs scored, and Slusarz counted an RBI on his 1-for-3 outing, as did Kaplan.
Wittenberg starting pitcher senior Stu Haley (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) had no decision after scattering four hits over five innings with four runs, three earned, against six strikeouts. Haley's relief, junior Luke Black (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham), picked up the win as the pitcher of record when the Tigers went ahead in the sixth. He pitched one inning and walked two but allowed just one hit and one run.
Sophomore Trent Champlin (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) entered for the seventh and threw two innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run with one strikeout. Freshman Jonathon Forster (Royal Oak, Mich./Brother Rice) picked up the save, pitching the ninth inning and holding MSJ to one walk and one hit.
In their next action, the Tigers face off with New England College bright and early on Wednesday, March 11, at 9:05 a.m. on the main field at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla.
John Strawn '07