Posted by: Ryan Maurer
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - It wasn't supposed to go like this. On a beautiful, cloudless day in a setting that couldn't have been more perfect for a college baseball game, the Wittenberg Tigers couldn't come up with the goods in their first game in Carleton Davidson Stadium, losing two lopsided games to the visiting Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops, 7-3 and 10-4.
The losses dropped Wittenberg to 18-12 overall on the 2004 season and 8-6 in the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division. The Tigers are now within one game of being eliminated from the annual four-team NCAC Tournament, which opens with a pair of semifinal series' on May 1-2 at the home sites of the East and West Division champions. OWU, the defending NCAC West Division and Tournament champions, improved to 21-14 overall and 10-4 in the division. The Battling Bishops are alone in second place in the NCAC West, four games behind nationally ranked Denison, which took three of four games against the Tigers last weekend.
In Game 1, Ohio Wesleyan put things out of reach with a big third inning. Already leading 1-0 after scoring a run on an RBI single by centerfielder Mike Albert in the third inning, the Bishops touched Tigers' starter Ryan Goldschmidt for four earned runs on four hits, a walk and an RBI hit-by-pitch. OWU tacked on two more runs in the sixth as shortstop Brandon Williams and designated hitter Tyler Mott collected the runs batted in.
Wittenberg came back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as shortstop K.R. Schlievert doubled home one run, leftfielder Matt Foster drove home another with an RBI groundout and catcher Jason Hutson singled home another. Then in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but first baseman Brian Hampp, representing the tying run, grounded into a game-ending double play.
Goldschmidt took the loss, dropping him to 4-3 on the season. He went six innings, giving up seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks. Wayne Massie pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief. Offensively, the Tigers got two hits in four plate appearances by Schlievert and two hits in three at-bats for Hutson in defeat.
In the nightcap, the script was somewhat similar, only this time the Bishops didn't wait to put the game out of reach. OWU pushed five runs across in the first inning, highlighted by catcher Andy Busch's three-run home run off Tiger starter Tom Fox. The Bishops pushed another run across in the second inning, three more in the third and one insurance score in the fourth.
Wittenberg came back with one run in the first and three in the third, but this game was over early. The offensive highlight for the Tigers was a long home run by Foster in the first inning, a shot that nearly cleared the stand of trees beyond the leftfield fence. In the third, Schlievert, Foster and Hampp all drove in runs.
Fox took the loss, his second against four victories on the season. He went just 2 1/3 innings and was clearly his own worst enemy. In addition to allowing six hits, he gave up six walks and committed a costly error in the first inning that helped open the floodgates. He was charged with nine runs, but just four were earned. Massie relieved him and gave up one run in 1 2/3 innings and Tyler Jacobs and Jason Holmberg finished things off on the mound with scoreless relief.
Offensively, the Tigers got two hits each from Foster and second baseman Jon Komperda.
Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan are scheduled for another doubleheader Sunday at noon at Carleton Davidson Stadium. If the Tigers can rally for a sweep in those games, the two teams would tie for second place in the NCAC West and would need a coin flip to decide which team qualifies for the conference tournament. One OWU win clinches a spot for the Bishops.
- Carleton Davidson Stadium Firsts
- First Pitch - by Wittenberg's Ryan Goldschmidt at 12:05 p.m. on April 24, 2004
- First Batter - Ohio Wesleyan's Brandon Williams
- First Out - Williams bunted, Wittenberg's Justin McCulla makes putout to Brian Hampp (5-3)
- First Strikeout - Goldschmidt retires Ohio Wesleyan's Tyler Mott (2nd batter of game)
- First Hit - Ohio Wesleyan's Tom Bottichio in second inning
- First Run - Ohio Wesleyan's Andy Busch in second inning
- First RBI - Ohio Wesleyan's Mike Albert in second inning
- First Pitching Win - Ohio Wesleyan's Michael Krieger
- First Pitching Loss - Wittenberg's Ryan Goldschmidt
- First Home Run - Ohio Wesleyan's Andy Busch (1st inning of second game)
- First Wittenberg Home Run - Matt Foster (1st inning of second game)