FT. MYERS, FL – The Wilmington College baseball team performed admirably Wednesday in facing unbeaten Mitchell Wednesday, but was swept, 5-3 and 10-0, at the Player Development Complex.
"Two losses sometimes show more character, than winning two," said Wilmington head coach Dan Cleaver. "We won three games, but the game I am most proud of is the effort we showed in the first game of the doubleheader. Overall, I thought we got to see everybody, and get playing time for everybody. It was real successful in that regard. I'm pretty excited about what is going on down here. Our guys are playing well. It's a new attitude, a new program; and it's because of them. They have bought into what we are trying to do."
GAME ONE: MITCHELL 5, WILMINGTON 3
The Mariners came into the game averaging slightly less than 10 runs per game with 59 runs in six games, and sophomore Samuel Cranor (Cincinnati, OH/LaSalle) kept them off balance for most of the game.
Making just his second career start, and first of the season, Cranor simply ran out of gas in the sixth.
He allowed an unearned run in the fifth inning as Mitchell took the lead. Cranor started the sixth by giving up a double, a sacrifice bunt, single and another double. The latter of which was his last batter. Freshman Corey Lugiano (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) came on to prevent further damage, but enough damage had been done.
"We had in our heads all winter long that Sam needed a start down here," said Cleaver. "With us being short on starters, we wanted to see if he could do it, and we are extremely pleased with what Sam did today. He kept them off stride by changing speeds."
He fell to 1-1 on the season, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and 5 1/3 innings.
Wilmington outhit the Mariners, 11-7, but had three runners picked off in the first two innings to keep it off the board. Four different hitters had multi-hit performances. Jake Robinson (Westerville, OH/Central), Corey Walker (Hillsboro, OH/Hillsboro), Clay Cleaver (Pleasant Plain, OH/Little Miami) and Tyler Schrock (Waynesville, OH/Waynesville) each had two hits for Wilmington.
GAME TWO: MITCHELL 10, WILMINGTON 0
Roenick Whitney (Goshen, OH/Goshen), Robinson and Walker accounted for WC's three-hits as they fell in the night cap, 10-0.
Mitchell scored runs in the third (one run), fourth (two runs), fifth (four runs) and sixth innings (three runs) to remain unbeaten on the season.
Junior Derek Peters (Fayetteville, OH/Fayetteville) allowed three runs (two earned) in 3 2/3 innings to pick up the loss (0-1). He surrendered six hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Wilmington (3-4) wraps up its eight-game trip with a nine-inning game 9 a.m. Thursday against Illinois College.
