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Wooster 6, Ohio Wesleyan 5 (5/9/2002)

Bill Daugherty's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Wooster over Ohio Wesleyan in the first game of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament finals on Thursday at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton.

The teams will play again at noon on Friday in the second game of the best-of-3 series. The third game, if necessary, would follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game.

Luke Ullman led off the bottom of the ninth with a double down the leftfield line. Jared Treadway was intentionally walked and Matt Miller followed with a sharp single to right, with Ullman holding at third. Sophomore lefthander Michael Myers (Columbus/Dublin Scioto) relieved for the Bishops and Daugherty served a 2-2 pitch into right to plate Ullman with the winning run.

Ohio Wesleyan jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Senior outfielder Shaun Rice (Dublin/Columbus Watterson) was hit by a pitch and stole second. Junior outfielder Joe Loudenslager (Hilliard/Darby) followed with a walk and senior first baseman Drew Caravella (Columbus/Hilliard Davidson) singled to right, with Rice holding at third. Junior catcher Bo Burnett (Powell/Olentangy) struck out for the first out, but sophomore third baseman Tyler Mott (Grove City) lofted a fly ball to left that scored Rice with the icebreaker.

Wooster took a 2-1 lead in the second as Jake Frank led off with a single, Brian Stevens followed with a walk and George Radigan followed with a double to the gap in leftcenter that scored both runners. Senior righthander Curt Moenter (Delphos/St. John) bounced back to get the next 3 hitters in order.

Caravella gave the Bishops the lead with a 2-run homer in the third, scoring Loudenslager, who had led off the inning with a single.

The Bishops added a run in the fourth when junior shortstop Joe Deck (Waverly) doubled to rightcenter, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Rice's single through the left side.

Wooster closed the gap to 4-3 when Ullman reached on Mott's fielding error and, one out later, moved to third on an errant pickoff throw by Moenter before scoring on Miller's single to left center.

Ohio Wesleyan added a run in the seventh when Rice walked, took third on a single by Caravella and scored on a Burnett single.

The Fighting Scots scored twice in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5. Daugherty led off the inning by reaching base when junior second baseman Matt Fortuna (Strongsville/St. Edward) fielded his ground ball cleanly but slipped on the outfield grass while turning to throw to first. Dan Penberthy followed with a walk.

Junior righthander Shaun Burchett (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) came in for the Bishops and retired Jake Frank on a grounder to second, with the runners moving to second and third. Stevens then lofted a fly ball to left that fell in front of junior outfielder Travis Falk (Bryan) for a single, scoring Daugherty and sending Penberthy to third. Radigan then plated the tying run with a grounder to short.

Ohio Wesleyan threatened in the top of the ninth when Caravella doubled with 2 out, but Wooster starter Matt Englander got Burnett on a called third strike to end the inning.

Caravella went 4-for-5 for the Bishops, while Rice scored twice. Daugherty finished at 3-for-5 for Wooster, while Miller and Radigan each had 2 hits.

Burchett was charged with the loss for Ohio Wesleyan. The run he allowed in the ninth ended his string of 16.1 consecutive scoreless innings.