Springfield, OH – In their final home series of 2022, the Wittenberg Tiger baseball team clinched their spot in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, splitting the series with the Fighting Scots from the College of Wooster. Wittenberg took game one from the Fight Scots in eight innings by a final score of 13-3. Wittenberg was unable to find the offensive spark they needed in game two to secure the sweep, falling 13-7. Though the Tigers would match the Scots in game two with 18 hits, collecting 27 total hits in the series. Wittenberg launched three homers in game one against Wooster, coming off the bat of Conor O'Malley, Dylan Jackson, and Luke Thomas.
The Tigers have captured their first 12-win NCAC season since 1997, improving to 25-10 overall and 12-4 in conference action. Yesterday's win over the Fighting Scots also made it the first time since the 1992 season that the Tigers hit the 25 win mark.
Wittenberg opened the scoring in the second inning, with Thomas ripping a two-RBI single into center, scoring Ian Ash and Jack Siefert. Gabe Stacy added two more to the Tiger total in the second inning, as Wittenberg quickly took a 4-0 lead. Wooster took one back in the top of the fourth, before the Tigers exploded for a five-run rally in the bottom half of the inning. A double by Stacy kept the Tiger advantage at four. O'Malley cleared the bases with a grand slam over the right field fence, giving Wittenberg the 9-1 lead. Wooster would plate two runs in the top of the fifth, cutting the Tiger lead down to 9-3. Wittenberg would go on to put up crooked numbers in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, solidifying the run-rule. A two-run homer from Jackson in the seventh put the Tigers' ahead 12-3, before an eighth inning leadoff shot from Thomas ended the game.
Wittenberg saw masterful pitching performances from Joe Horoszko and Charlie Schafer on the day. Horoszko put in 4.1 innings to start the game, allowing six hits with four strikeouts. Schafer picked up his third win of the season, tossing 3.2 innings, fanning five Wooster batters without a hit allowed.
In the second game, the Tigers had an early deficit to overcome as Wooster took an early 7-0 lead through their first four at-bats. The Tigers were able to take two back in the bottom of the fourth, with RBI singles from Jackson and Parker Gryskevic. Wittenberg found a spark in the ninth, plating five runs but falling short of a comeback.
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will wrap up their regular season on Sunday, May 8, traveling to Ohio Wesleyan University for a two-game series with the Battling Bishops. First pitch is set for 12:00 pm.