The Observer, April 7, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 23
Spartans overcome weather and errors to defeat Oberlin
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Despite wind chills dipping into the low 30s and some defensive lapses, the Case baseball team was able to grab a 9-8 victory over Oberlin College on Wednesday.
Case jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior outfielder Chris Sisson walked. Sisson took second on a steal and was driven home by senior shortstop Tim Koenig's one-out single, giving Case a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.
Case's offense came through in the clutch during the bottom of the third inning with two outs. Haley started the rally with a single and a stolen base to reach scoring position. Haley then scored on a triple by freshman first baseman Zak Hourmouzis. Junior designated hitter Joe McCrackin and senior second baseman Dan McNally kept the two-out magic alive with walks before senior Josh Knipp scored McCrackin with a single into right field. Knipp advanced to second base on a steal that allowed McNally to steal home on the throw. Knipp then scored when Marshall Hampton's single went through the right side of the infield. By the end of the inning, Case found itself in control of the game with a 6-0 lead.
The five-run was one of the more impressive offensive outbursts for the Spartans so far this season as they were able to put several runners on base in a row.
"Hitting is contagious," said Knipp. "It is so much easier to hit with men on base and having the pitcher in the stretch."
Oberlin scored for the first time in the top of the fourth inning as two singles started the inning with one out. A double to right field scored both base runners and cut the Case lead to 6-2. A lineout and a groundout ended anymore trouble for junior pitcher John Thuermer.
Case added two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth inning as Koenig started the inning off with a walk and a stolen base. After a groundout, Haley singled through the right side and scored Koenig. With two outs, McCrackin tripled to right center to score Haley and give Case an 8-2 lead.
Thuermer was removed after throwing six solid innings, and the Yeomen mounted a comeback against the Case bullpen. Two singles and a sacrifice bunt gave the Yeomen their first run of the inning. After an intentional work and an error, three runs scored on an outfield error cut the Case lead to 8-7. Oberlin then tied the game in the eighth after yet another Spartan error allowed Cal Kyrkostas to score.
Case scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Briggs was hit by a pitch and stole second. The Case offense then did a good job of moving him around the bases. A sacrifice bunt by Haley moved him to third, and, after a walk, a sacrifice fly from McCrackin scored him. Freshman Jonathon Fagert then retired the side in the ninth to preserve the victory. The win improved Case's record to 4-11 on the season.
The key to the game was the team's ability to overcome Oberlin's big seventh inning. Allowing big innings has haunted the team throughout the season. "The big inning has killed us all year long," said Knipp. "We're a [veteran] team. We should be able to bounce from something like that."
One reason why the Spartans were able to win despite allowing five runs late in the game was that they kept responding to Oberlin's rally on offense.
"We often score runs in the beginning of the game but then put up zeroes at the end," McCrackin said. "We played a complete game today."
Case played a game against local rival Baldwin Wallace the previous day and could not overcome the big inning, losing 14-5. A nine-run seventh inning put the game out of reach for the Spartans. Leading the Spartan offensive in Berea was Briggs, who was 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Junior catcher Marshall Hampton and McNally each added two RBI.
On Sunday, the Spartans split a doubleheader with Thiel College. In the opening game, Case took a 9-5 victory over the Tomcats. Senior pitcher Rich Mullen picked up the first victory of his baseball career. Mullen pitched a complete game giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and five walks.
Two six-run innings, five errors and eight walks cost the Spartans the second game. The Tomcats took the victory by a final score of 20-12. Sisson, Briggs, and Mahmud all had two RBI to lead the Case offense.
Baseball fans have four opportunities to catch Spartan baseball fever this weekend as the team has two doubleheaders scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the Hiram Terriers come to Nobby's Ballpark with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Hiram enters the game with a 7-13 record. Sunday, the Spartans will host Penn State Behrend for a doubleheader, also at 1 p.m.
