Thomas' Go-Ahead Three-Run Homer Propels Wooster Past CWRU, 8-6

WOOSTER, Ohio – Senior catcher Michael Thomas hammered a go-ahead three-run home run down the left field line in the bottom of the seventh inning, and that lifted The College of Wooster baseball team to a thrilling 8-6 win over Case Western Reserve University on Wednesday afternoon at Art Murray Field.

Thanks to Thomas, Wooster (14-8) saddled CWRU (15-14) relief ace Tyler Horvath (0-1) with three runs in his 2 2/3 innings of work. Of note, Thomas' blast marked continued success against CWRU's star relief pitcher. Horvath came into Wednesday's game sporting a miniscule 0.81 ERA and that ballooned to 1.80. Three seasons ago, it was Scott Kutschke getting roughed up by Wooster, as the Scots got to him for five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings at the Wooster Regional. Kutschke came into that outing with a 1.00 ERA, and it climbed to 2.15 once the Scots were done hammering away.

Getting back to Wednesday's affair, senior left field Dominic Stilliana singled to center to lead off the seventh, then sophomore pinch hitter Jack Henderson drew a walk. Thomas waited patiently for a good pitch to take a healthy cut at, and the effort was rewarded on Horvath's payoff offering.

Nick Harms' leadoff home run in the top of the seventh broke a 5-5 tie. Wooster knotted the game up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore second baseman Eli Westrick singled and advanced to second on a CWRU throwing error to start the inning. Then, junior third baseman Dean Brown clubbed a two-run homer down the left field line.

Wooster had success early, scoring in each of the first three innings, including when Evan Faxon, a two-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference pitcher for the Scots toed the rubber for CWRU. Faxon, playing as a graduate transfer for two-time Wooster All-American and W Association Hall of Famer Matt Englander, plunked Thomas on his first pitch of the day. The Scots' catcher advanced 180 feet on senior right fielder Ben Hines' one-out single, then scored when Faxon uncorked a wild pitch to the backstop.

CWRU jumped ahead 4-2 in the third inning. Flynn Lenahan's two-run single was the big damage-inflicting hit in the frame, and the Spartans capitalized on a Scots' error in the outfield. Brown kept CWRU from getting any more runs by starting an inning-ending double play.

Wooster senior Dylan Carr evened his record out at 2-2. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits in his three innings of work. Junior Christian Johnston (save 2) worked two scoreless innings, during which he struck out two.

 Brown and Westrick had two hits each for Wooster, which also saw Hines and senior Ben Gbur up their stolen bases totals to 17 and 16, respectively.

 Lenahan was the standout in CWRU's lineup, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI.

 Next, Wooster (3-3 NCAC) is off to Wabash College (14-8, 0-5 NCAC) for a 12 p.m. twin bill on Saturday, April 15.