Spartans Spoil 10th-Ranked Scots' Season Opener, 3-1

WOOSTER, Ohio – Case Western Reserve University's Jake Ryan continued to rake at Art Murray Field, and Nick Denove's pitching gem spoiled the 10th-ranked College of Wooster's season lid-lifter, as the Spartans won 3-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Ryan, who clubbed three longballs in last year's regular season meeting at Art Murray Field, lifted a 3-0 pitch over the left field fence for the game's first run in the third inning. The junior catcher doubled the lead in the seventh inning, when his leadoff blast left the park in left center.

CWRU's (2-2) Trey Haley's round-tripper made it a 3-0 game in the eighth inning.

Wooster (0-1) sophomore Ben Gbur pulled a leadoff two-bagger down the left field line in the bottom of the ninth inning and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. He scored Wooster's lone run when senior Aaron Spidell's two-out knock fell in right center.

Denove (1-0) was the big factor in Sunday's win. He went the distance and struck out nine Fighting Scots. The sophomore southpaw set down 10 straight to start the game.

CWRU threatened right away against junior Andrew Hill (0-1) and would've scored in the top of the first inning if it wasn't for senior Nick Strausbaugh's inning-ended diving catch near the line.

In the third inning, junior shortstop Gabe Sherman, who was making his first career start, ranged well to his right, and senior first baseman Dan Harwood dug out the throw to retire CWRU's Casey McConihe for the third out of the frame.

CWRU had a couple of nice defensive plays of its own. In the sixth, right fielder Cole Jarrett tracked down a fly ball just in front of the fence, and second baseman Benjamin Gorski flashed the leather on an inning-ending grounder in the hole.

Wooster's pitchers – Hill, junior Evan Faxon, and sophomore Mitchell Reardon – struck out 13 Spartans on the afternoon. Gbur had two of Wooster's five base knocks.

Ryan's 2-for-4 game led the way for the Spartans, while three teammates finished with two base knocks each.

Next, Wooster heads to Florida for an 11-game slate that starts with a noon game against Haverford College (0-2) on Monday, March 9.