GAMBIER, Ohio – Using a solo home run and outstanding pitching, the No. 10-ranked Fighting Scots of The College of Wooster held off the Kenyon College Lords, 1-0, in the first game of what was scheduled to be a baseball doubleheader at McCloskey Field. A steady rain washed out game two, so the teams will make it up Sunday at 2 p.m.
Wooster recorded the day's only run with a one-out solo home run from Nick Strausbaugh in the top of third inning. That shot came off Kenyon starter
Alex Gow, who otherwise turned in a solid outing. Gow pitched six innings, walked three, struck out four and gave up six hits.
Gow's counterpart Evan Faxon, was even better for the Fighting Scots. He threw all but the final two outs of the game. He struck out four, yielded three hits and one walk.
Kenyon sophomore
Jake Brown was the only Kenyon batter to solve Faxon. He reached base three times. In the bottom of the third inning, Brown doubled and later moved to third on a groundout, but was stranded there as the inning ended.
In the bottom of sixth, Brown got on base again, this time with a single to right field.
Will Sturgeon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to get Brown to second, but Brown was later thrown out trying to make his way to third following a Wooster error.
In the eighth inning, Brown drew a two-out, four-pitch walk. He was left stranded again when the next Kenyon batter grounded out, ending the inning.
After Gow was lifted in the top of the seventh inning, senior
Ross Scheinberg took over. Scheinberg threw for the rest game and got all but the final out. With the base loaded in the top of the ninth,
Nathan Chandler relieved Scheinberg and recorded the final Wooster out. Combined, the two Kenyon relievers went three innings, struck out two, and gave up two hits and two walks.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kenyon had one more opportunity to tie the game.
Ryan Page singled through the right side and was sacrificed to second by
Eric DelRosso. Page later moved to third on a passed ball with two outs, but he was left stranded when a ground out ended the game.
Andrew Hill finished things off for the Fighting Scots, facing three batters and gaining his first save of the season.
The win moved Wooster to 24-9, while the loss dropped Kenyon to 20-16.