From Case Western Reserve University Athletics

Case Western Reserve University sophomore outfielder/ first baseman Daniel Watson went eight-for-10 with the first two home runs of his collegiate career on Sunday, helping the Spartans to a pair of victories on Sunday, as the team bested Manchester University 13-5 in the early game, and followed with an 11-5 triumph over #12/18 Heidelberg University in Chillicothe, Ohio.

The Spartans went 3-1 during their four-game weekend in Chillicothe, improving to 3-4 overall on the year. Both Manchester and Heidelberg dropped to 1-2 on the year with the losses.

Game 1: CWRU 13, Manchester 5
The Spartans completed a weekend sweep of Manchester with the win in the early game on Sunday, backed by a pair of home runs from Watson, and one from Damiano. The Case Western Reserve pitching staff did not allow a run until the ninth, en route to the victory.

The game went scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Case Western Reserve broke through for three runs in the frame. Freshman Jacob Kucia started the inning off with his first collegiate hit, a base hit up the middle, and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Manchester pitcher on pickoff attempt. He scored a batter later, when Watson singled over the shortstop's head with the infield pulled in. Watson would later score on a one-out sacrifice fly from sophomore Alex Capetillo, and a two-out single from junior Josh Neal plated sophomore Nate Glasser to extend the lead to 3-0.

CWRU added four more in the fifth, including a pair on a two-run home run by junior Tony Damiano, the first of his career, and another three in the sixth on a three-run home run by Watson that hit off the foul pole down the leftfield line, extending the lead to 10-0. A single by freshman Rocco Maue in the seventh, and a two-run home run off Watson's bats in the eighth put the Spartans up 13-0 heading into the ninth. Manchester would score five in the top of the ninth, but it would be too little too late for the vistors.

Junior Preston Williams started and went three scoreless innings, striking out five batters and allowing just a pair of hits. Glasser allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings of relief, en route to earning the win and improving to 1-0. Sophomore Liam Killingstad added three hitless innings out if the bullpen for CWRU.

Watson finished the first game five-for-five with a career-best six RBIs, including the two home runs, while stealing a pair of bases as well. Kucia came off the bench to go two-for-three with three runs scored.

Manchester starter Cory Ferguson took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the campaign.

Game 2: CWRU 11, Heidelberg 5
Schovanec got the Spartans off to a 2-0 lead before the team recorded its first out in the second game with a two-run home run, the first of his career with CWRU. Neal added on a run with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, scoring junior Aaron Cain to extend the lead to 3-0.

The Spartans broke the game open in the fifth inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five runs, including a pair on a two-run double by Kucia, taking an 8-0 lead by the end of the frame.

Meanwhile, on the mound, senior Lee Penzarella was stellar, allowing just two hits in 5.1 innings, striking out six and walking five to pick up the win and improve to 1-0 on the year.  He left the game with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, but junior Jake Shields came out of the bullpen to strike out a pair of batters to end the threat. 

CWRU added two more in the sixth, before Heidelberg scored five unanswered to cut the lead to 10-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth. A double by Capetillo drove in an insurance run, and senior Connor Tagg pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the win.

Schovanec, Kucia and Capetillo each drove in a pair of runs in the game, and Watson and Neal both finished the game three-for-five.

Heidelberg starter Kyle Fluharty took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year.

As a team, Case Western Reserve hit .358 over the four games this weekend, scoring 45 runs.  Watson hit a blistering .647 (11-for-17) with eight runs scored and eight RBIs, while stealing eight bases on nine attempts.