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Ohio Wesleyan 8, Wittenberg 2
Wittenberg 4, Ohio Wesleyan 1
April 26, 2009
![[ James DiBiasio ]](../images/dibiasi2.jpg)
Freshman second baseman James DiBiasio (Westlake) drove in what proved to be the game-winning run and sophomore outfielder Zach Frentsos (Delaware/Hayes) followed with a 2-run double during a 4-run second inning that helped Ohio Wesleyan defeat Wittenberg in the opener of a North Coast Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader on Sunday at Littick Field.
In the nightcap, Frentsos doubled in a run to give the Bishops a 1-0 lead, but Wittenberg rallied to take a win and salvage a split of the twinbill.
The Ohio Wesleyan split, combined with Wabash's sweep of Earlham on Sunday, leaves the Battling Bishops and Little Giants tied for the top spot in the NCAC West Division. Ohio Wesleyan wins the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed from the West Division and will host Kenyon in Saturday's NCAC tournament semifinals, while Wabash will visit Wooster, the top seed from the East Division.
The Bishops took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener when senior shortstop Logan Hronis (Rocky River/St. Edward) lashed a 2-out single up the middle, stole second, and scored on a single by sophomore outfielder Eric Livingston (Delaware/Hayes).
Wittenberg answered in the top of the second, tying the game when Stefan Kegler led off with a home run.
Ohio Wesleyan loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore outfielder Scott Wise (Delaware/Hayes) was hit by a pitch, then Wittenberg first baseman Zach Spring mishandled a sacrifice bunt attempt by junior catcher Steve Ruygrok (Centennial, Colo./Cherry Creek), with all hands safe on the play, before freshman first baseman Tim Knezovich (Columbus/Briggs) followed with a single to fill the sacks. Sophomore second baseman Josh Gardner (Youngstown/Boardman) was hit by a pitch, forcing home Wise for a 2-1 Bishop lead. DiBiasio followed with a fly ball to center, scoring Ruygrok, and Frentsos doubled to right center for 2 more runs and a 5-1 Ohio Wesleyan lead.
Knezovich doubled home Ruygrok in the third, DiBiasio doubled and scored in the fourth, and Ruygrok doubled and scored on Knezovich's single in the fifth to stretch the margin to 8-1.
Knezovich went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI, while Ruygrok was 2-for-2 with 3 runs scored.
Junior righthander Matthew Struble (Defiance/Edon) worked the first 6.0 innings for Ohio Wesleyan, striking out 1 and walking 1, to collect the win.
Joel Assenheimer pitched the complete game for Wittenberg.
The nightcap saw Livingston and Wittenberg's Tim Antil trade zeroes into the fifth inning, when Ohio Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead.
Gardner led off the Bishop fifth with a single, moved to second on DiBiasio's sacrifice, and scored on Frentsos's ground-rule double down the leftfield line.
The Tigers took the lead in the top of the sixth. Patrick Williams legged out a grounder to freshman shortstop Steve Gaydos (Strongsville). Ray Noe followed with a drive to the gap in right center, which got past a dive by senior outfielder Matt Rhode (Port Clinton), with Williams scoring and Noe going to third. Livingston came back to retire Kegler on a comebacker, but Spring launched a double to left to plate Noe with the go-ahead run.
Wittenberg put the game out of reach by scoring 2 runs in the seventh without the benefit of a hit, collecting 3 walks, a balk, a hit batsman, 2 wild pitches, and a passed ball.
Livingston was the starting and losing pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan, while Antil went the distance for Wittenberg.