From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University junior captain threw his second complete game of the season, helping lead the Spartans to a 6-1 victory over John Carroll University during the team's annual game at Progressive Field, the home of the Cleveland Indians, on Wednesday afternoon.
Shields became the first pitcher to throw a complete game at Progressive Field in 2016, allowing just a run on six hits and striking out five batters during the 111-pitch effort. He improved to a team-leading 8-2 with the win and lowered his season earned run average to 3.47. It marked the third-straight start of eight or more innings for Shields, and his second complete game during the stretch.
Shields' lone blemish came in the in the fifth inning, when the Blue Streaks took a 1-0 lead after a leadoff double and a one-out triple. However, Shields retired the next two batters to limit the damage, as part of a stretch of eight-straight Blue Streaks retired, and the right-handed pitcher would allow just two more hits the rest of the game.
The Spartans would take the lead in the sixth, when freshman shortstop Rocco Maue doubled to the gap in left center field to start the frame, and sophomore designated hitter Daniel Watson followed with a single to left field. The John Carroll left fielder would throw to the plate on the play in an attempt to stop Maue from scoring, and when Watson tried to advance to second on the throw, the JCU catcher threw the ball into the outfield, allowing both Maue and Watson to score unearned runs.
Case Western Reserve added two more on in the seventh, loading the bases for Watson, who drove in a run with an RBI single, and a batter later, junior center fielder Aaron Cain scored on a wild pitch. In the eighth, the Spartans extended their lead to 6-1 with a successful squeeze bunt by junior catcher Eric Eldred that scored junior right fielder Tony Damiano, and an RBI single for junior left fielder Josh Neal.
The Spartans out-hit John Carroll 14-6, including a pair of hits each for Cain, Neal, Maue, Watson, Damiano and sophomore second baseman Alex Capetillo. Capetillo also scored a pair of runs in the game.
Steven Virost took the loss in relief for John Carroll, falling 0-2 on the year.
With the win, the Spartans ended the regular season with a 26-13 overall record, including wins in 18 of their last 22 games. John Carroll dropped to 16-17 overall with the loss, as Case Western Reserve won three of the four games in its season series with the Blue Streaks.
Wednesday's game also marked the final regular season contest in the career of the six Case Western Reserve University seniors – Eddie Abramson, Neal Krentz, Lee Penzarella, Tyler Schovanec, Connor Tagg and Zack Tobias. Together, the six players have helped the Spartans Reserve go 112-54 for a .675 winning percentage, while winning University Athletic Association Championships and finishing as the NCAA Mideast Regional Runner-Up in both 2013 and 2014. In addition, the 2014 squad won 34 games, setting the program record for victories in a season.
With the regular season now complete, the Spartans will await the announcement of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship selections, set to be released on NCAA.com on Sunday, May 15th. Case Western Reserve, which ranks first among all NCAA Division III teams in strength of schedule, will have a better idea of where they stand in terms of selection when the first of three weekly NCAA Regional Rankings are released on Thursday, April 28th. Since there is no automatic bid associated with the University Athletic Association, the Spartans are eligible for either a Pool B bid, of which there are two awarded to independent teams nationally, or a Pool C bid, awarded to 14 at-large teams.