Wittenberg vs Wabash to Kick off NCAC season

Wittenberg got the North Coast Athletic Conference part of its schedule off to a good start with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Wabash Saturday by scores of 11-1 and 2-1. The scheduled finale of the three-game set on Sunday was postponed until April 16 at 4 p.m. due to rain and cold weather. 

The Tigers received a pair of complete-game pitching performances by senior Jeremy Emch (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) and junior Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick). The two righthanders each improved to 3-0 on the season by beating the LittleGiants. Emch has two complete games in three starts and has a 4.05 earned run average. Cerovac has gone the distance in three of his four starts, while compiling a 2.19 ERA, and has 26 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.

Junior shortstop Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) drove in four runs in Game 1, while senior rightfielder Ryan Peters (London, Ohio/London) added a three-run homer. Peters, who added another homer in the nightcap, leads the team in batting (.500), home runs (8) and RBI (29). The Tigers are batting a robust .342 as a team.

After blowing the first game open with a seven-run fourth inning, Wittenberg won the nightcap in a pitcher's duel. The decisive plays came in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) and in the seventh inning on a great defensive play by centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork), who took away a home run to preserve the victory.