OWU Online | Sports Releases

Ohio Wesleyan 5, Wooster 4
Wooster 8, Ohio Wesleyan 6 (5/10/2002)

Bill Daugherty drove in 3 runs and Matt Englander worked 2.0 hitless innings to pick up a save as Wooster won the North Coast Athletic Conference championship by holding off the Bishops in the third game of the tournament finals on Friday at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton.

Ohio Wesleyan forced the third game by taking Friday's opening game. Junior outfielder Travis Falk (Bryan) gunned down the tying run at the plate to end the game and set up the winner-take-all third game.

In the opener, Wooster jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jared Treadway led off with a single, stole second and scored on Matt Miller's single to left center.

Senior outfielder Shaun Rice (Dublin/Columbus Watterson) evened the score just as quickly, leading off the bottom of the first with a home run.

Ohio Wesleyan jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second when junior catcher Bo Burnett (Powell/Olentangy) singled and moved to third on a double by junior catcher Mike Schultheis (Columbus/Watterson). One out later, sophomore outfielder Byron Lowe (Medford, Mass./Cambridge Ridge) walked to load the bases. One out later, Rice drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run and junior outfielder Joe Loudenslager (Hilliard/Darby) followed with a single to score Schultheis and Lowe.

Wooster closed the gap to 4-2 in the fifth as Daugherty reached third on an error by Loudenslager and scored on Dan Penberthy's single to left, but the Bishops got the run back in the eighth when Burnett and Schultheis opened the inning with singles and junior shortstop Joe Deck (Waverly) singled in Burnett.

The Fighting Scots threatened in the top of the ninth as Miller lined a one-out single down the leftfield line and Daugherty followed with a walk. Penberthy followed with a line shot back to the mound that went for a single when sophomore righthander Tyler Mott (Grove City) knocked the ball down, but did not have a play on any runner. Jake Frank lofted a fly ball to right that scored Miller and sent Daugherty to third. Brian Stevens followed with a single through the left side, scoring Daugherty, with pinch-runner Nic Moga holding at second. George Radigan then singled to left, and Falk's throw home was in time but slightly off-line, but Moga slid wide of the plate and was tagged out by Schultheis to end the game.

Mott went the distance for the Bishops, striking out 4 and walking 3. Rice and Loudenslager each drove in 2 runs and Deck, Schultheis and Burnett each had 2 hits for Ohio Wesleyan.

John Werner worked the first 4.2 innings and took the loss for Wooster, with B.J.Thomas finishing up and allowing 1 run over the final 3.1 innings.

In the nightcap, Rice again led off with a home run, this time a shot to straightaway center, for a 1-0 Bishop lead.

Wooster answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Miller singled and Daugherty launched a homer to right that gave the Fighting Scots the lead. Penberthy followed with a single and scored on Stevens' triple to center.

The Bishops closed to within 3-2 on a single by junior second baseman Mike Albert (Shelby), a walk to Burnett and a single down the rightfield line by junior third baseman Mark Wherry (Dublin/Scioto), but the inning ended when Wherry was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double.

Wooster added 3 unearned runs in the fourth as Luke Ullman singled with 2 out and Treadway followed with a grounder to third which Wherry fielded but could not make a throw. Miller then singled in Ullman, with Treadway taking third. Treadway scored on a passed ball and Miller scored when Daugherty followed with a single to center.

Ohio Wesleyan came right back with 2 runs in the top of the fifth. After loading the bases with nobody out, Wherry plated a run with a grounder to second and Falk lofted a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-4.

Wooster scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth when Radigan singled, moved to second on a ground out and scored on Ullman's single to center.

The Bishops answered with a run in the sixth when Albert singled with 2 out, senior first baseman Drew Caravella (Columbus/Hilliard Davidson) walked and Burnett singled in Albert.

Wooster got the run back in the bottom of the sixth when Penberthy walked with 2 outs, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Frank's single to center.

Falk sliced the margin to 8-6 with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bishops went on to strand a runner in scoring position in the inning.

Ohio Wesleyan threatened in the eighth when Caravella walked with one out but was erased when Frank made a shoestring catch of a Burnett line drive and doubled Caravella off first base, and again in the ninth when senior outfielder Michael Hershberger (Massillon/Canton Central Catholic) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second with one out but was stranded there.

Justin Alaburda, who relieved Josh Frank in the fifth inning, was credited with thewin after working 2.1 innings in relief. Matt Englander, who pitched a complete-game win for Wooster in Thursday night's Game 1 of the series, worked the final 2.0 innings to record a save.

Senior lefthander Matt Farmwald (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) was charged with the loss for the Bishops.

Mott, Caravella, Wherry and Rice represented the Bishops on the all-tournament team.

2002 All-NCAC Tournament Team
P Matt Englander, Wooster
P Tyler Mott, Ohio Wesleyan
C George Radigan, Wooster
1B Drew Caravella, Ohio Wesleyan
2B Matt Miller, Wooster
3B Mark Wherry, Ohio Wesleyan
SS Hector Urena, Allegheny
OF Bill Daugherty, Wooster
OF Shaun Rice, Ohio Wesleyan
OF Matt Foster, Wittenberg
DH Brian Stevens, Wooster
MVP: Bill Daugherty, Wooster.