Head Coach Jay Lewis
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In a night of accomplishments, the immediate excitement of a thrilling 9-8 comeback victory over the College of Wooster in Game 2 overshadowed an event longer in the making. Head Coach Jay Lewis achieved his 300th career victory at the helm of Wittenberg baseball.
The 2011 Tigers improved to 17-12 overall and 7-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) while Lewis improved to 300-247-4 (.548) in his head coaching career, which entered its 15th season this year. The Tigers dropped the early game 10-8 despite a late surge.
The win also helped Wittenberg surpass last year's win total of 16, still with 10 games remaining on the schedule.
Lewis already boasts more victories than any previous coach in school history. In 2006, just days after his 200th career victory, Lewis passed the legendary Howard "Red" Maurer.
(Archival research finding seven previously unrecorded wins later revealed that Lewis actually passed Maurer on Saturday, April 29 with an 8-7 win over Wooster in the NCAC Tournament which, fittingly, marked Wittenberg's last victory over the Scots.)
Lewis, a native of St. Paris, Ohio, and three-year starter at catcher from 1991-93 as a Wittenberg Tiger, said he is proud of the accomplishment but happier to see the team rally.
"I was just happy to get the come-from-behind victory," Lewis said. "It was a great win for our team, and it's always great to beat Wooster."
Wittenberg earned the win after dropping the first game 10-8. The Tigers posted two three-run innings, but Wooster had three despite being outhit by Wittenberg 13-12.
Down 9-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Wittenberg junior Matt Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) powered a two-run home run, and senior Mike Yednock (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) brought home senior Jason Haunty (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) following back-to-back hits by Haunty and sophomore Grant Goodwin (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson).
The Scots answered with one in the sixth and the Tigers mounted a three-run seventh, but it fell just short. Yednock added his second RBI in the push and a fielding error on his hit allowed another to score before freshman David Moore (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) brought in the final run.
Sophomore starter Kevin Tolle (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) took the loss on eight hits, nine runs and three strikeouts over 4-1/3 innings. Junior Ted Skalla (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) allowed one run to score on three hits in two innings of relief work.
In the thrilling comeback victory, the Tigers found themselves down 7-2 in the third after Wooster posted four runs in the first inning, two in the second and one in the third.
Goodwin led off the bottom of the third and came around to score on a double by Yednock, who crossed the plate on a single by senior Zach Spring (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) to cap a two-run inning. The Tigers repeated in the fourth when Yednock brought two home on a single, marking his fourth and fifth RBIs of the day.
Wooster expanded their suddenly slim 7-6 lead with a run in the top of the sixth, but that's when the Tigers mounted a three-run attack to take the lead for the first time all day.
Spring singled for one run before Yednock scored on a wild pitch for the second. Senior pinch hitter Stefan Kegler (Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) connected on a grounder that brought home Spring to complete the rally.
With the tables turned, Wittenberg called on junior closer Matt Rupert (Evanston, Ill./Evanston) to seal the game. After walking the first batter, Rupert induced a fly out and struck out the last two batters to earn his eighth save of the season.
Senior Sam Clement (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) improved to 3-0 on the season as the pitcher of record in the win, allowing two hits and one run in 1-1/3 innings.
Haunty hit safely in his first five plate appearances on the day to finish 5-for-8 between the two games, but Yednock led the lineup with five RBIs on 4-for-7 hitting. Hampp's home run accounted for his two RBIs and he matched Haunty at 5-for-8, as did Spring.
The Tigers totaled five extra-base hits, including doubles by Haunty, Hampp, Yednock, Goodwin and senior Ray Noe (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) along with Hampp's homer.
Wittenberg, second in the NCAC to Wooster and just ahead of 8-4 Denison, plays two non-conference nine-inning games this week, starting with a 4 p.m. tilt at Ohio Northern on Tuesday and a Wednesday home contest against Anderson at 6:30 p.m.
John Strawn '07