The final stats looked like a football score. After the baseball team beat Mount Union College by nearly four touchdowns, the Scots baseball team had made history.
The team stomped all over Mount Union this past Monday with a final score of 31-5. This is the third time in school history that Wooster has scored 30-plus points in a game ó the other two times were in the 1986 season. The Scots also had 11 home runs on the day, which is the second most in school history behind the 13 homers they had in their 1986 season against Kenyon College: a Div. III record.
The win helped improve Woosterís overall record to 31-7 and their North Coast Atlantic Conference East record stayed the same at 13-3. On the day, the Scots also had 30 RBIs and 30-hits ó tying for the second-highest total. They had 57 at-bats, equaling a single-game mark and had 67 total bases, which was also second-most.
Individually for the Scots, Luke Sutton í10 and John Warren í09 both had seven at bats each ó tying the record for Wooster. Sutton and Warren each had a home run as well and Warren also had eight RBIís on the day, which is the fourth-most in a game by a Wooster player.
In the first inning, Wooster went through their entire line-up without a single out and led with a score of 9-0. This run was capped off by a grand slam from Warren.
Prior to Warrenís grand slam, both Sean Karpen í08 and Sutton had back-to-back home runs. Matt Groezinger í10 hit a home run out of the clean-up spot, giving him a homer in each of his last five games.
Mount Union managed to tag on one run to their score, but the Scots offense picked up exactly where it left off in the top of the second inning. Wooster scored seven more runs this inning, including a two-run double from Warren and a three-run home run from Stu Beath í10.
Wooster led 16-2 through the first three innings before scoring four more runs in the fourth, which included their second grand slam of the day from Michael DeBord í12.
Throughout the game, 13 different Wooster players recorded hits, including Anthony Trapuzzano í09 and also scored 13 runs. Warren and Pierce both led the team with four hits apiece. Pierce reached base six times in the game going 4-for-4 with two walks. Sutton, Beath, Groezinger and DeBord each had three hits apiece and DeBord also had six RBIís for the Scots.
In the sixth inning, Matthew Pierce í11 hit another home run for Wooster and drove in two more runs making the score 22-2. In the seventh inning, Warren and Chris Wood í12 started the inning with back-to-back home runs. It was Woodís first career home run. Robby Daniels í10 also had his first of his career in the seventh with a double to left-center field. Colin Meinzer í12 had a three-run home run for the Scots.
Wooster scored a total of eight runs in the inning, bringing the score to 30-2. Sutton scored the final run for the Scots in the ninth inning. Sutton had not had a home run prior to the game. His solo home run brought the final score to 31-5.
Justin McDowell í10 earned the win for Wooster. McDowell allowed one earned run on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks while improving his record to 7-2.
After the teamís upset loss to Kenyon College in mid-April, it looked as if the Scots might not have the opportunity to host the NCAC Tournament. However, after Kenyon was upset by Allegheny College, the Scots will again host the annual conference tournament.
The team hosts Wabash College tomorrow at noon. Wabash tied for the NCAC West regular season title with Ohio Wesleyan and will come into the tournament with a 21-16 overall record. The Little Giants started slowly this season, jumping out to just a 8-13 overall record. However, since a 5-0 loss to Butler University on April 7, the Giants have won 13 of their last 16 games.
Wabash is led by Jake Thomas, who currently posts a team-leading .453 batting average. Thomas also leads the team in doubles, RBIs, total bases and stolen bases. The Giants had a loaded offenive attack, with six regulars hitting over .300. The Scots also have six regulars hitting over .300 and seem to match up evenly with the Giants at the plate.
Where the Scots may have an advantage is on the rubber. While the Scots have three starters with earned run averages under four, the Giants have none. The Giants are led on the mound by Andy Weeeks, who has an ERA of 4.10.
While the Scots have dominated in the regular season recently, they have struggled in the NCAC Tournament. Last year, the Scots won the opening game against Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC Semifinals, but lost the following two games the next day. In 2007, the Scots went 37-3 in the regular season, only to fall to Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC Tournament Championships.
The Scots will need strong pitching to get back on track in the tournament. In three of the teamís past four losses in the NCAC Tournament, the team has allowed more than 13 runs.
If the team advances against Wabash College, it will play in the NCAC Tournament Championships next weekend.