GRANVILLE, Ohio - Wittenberg baseball head coach Jay Lewis could not have asked much more from his pitchers in a heartbreaking pair of losses to NCAC West division rival Denison. The Tigers fell 3-2 in nine innings before dropping the nightcap 2-0 in a pivotal NCAC weekend meeting with the Big Red.
Emerging sophomore ace Jordan Kegler (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby) set down the Big Red with only five hits allowed, giving up single runs in the first and second innings. Wittenberg responded in the fifth, when sophomore Ray Noe (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) provided a big two-RBI single to plate sophomore Zach Spring (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) and junior A.J. Bush (Troy, Ohio/Troy)and knot the game at two apiece.
Chances down the stretch went by the wayside as the Tigers saw the game go to extra innings before the Big Red walked off with the win.
In the second contest, the Red and White wasted three hits from sophomore Stefan Kegler (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) as well as a complete-game six-hitter from junior starter Bobby Ciucki (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman).
An opportunity for redemption arises on Sunday, April 5, when the same two teams do battle again from Granville, with a noon opening pitch for Game 1.
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant