WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College baseball team edged Mount St. Joseph University 5-4 at Tewksbury-Delaney Field on Wednesday to sweep the season series.
The Lions (12-19), who were looking to snap a 12-game losing streak, scored a run on three hits in the top of the first. The Quakers looked to even in the bottom half of the inning as Tyler Shaneyfelt singled via a bunt, stolen second and advanced to third on an error. That steal was No. 33 on the season for the junior, breaking a tie with Antonio Miller (class of 2019). Shaneyfelt wouldn't score, however, as he was gunned down trying to score on a fly ball hit to left by Owen Baumann. WC wouldn't have to wait long to even the score, however, as Evan Eilerman led off the second with a double to left. One batter later, the game was tied as Carter Scheben hit an RBI-single to left field.
A scoreless third inning from both teams followed, and the hosts took the lead in the fourth on consecutive doubles from Dominic Depa and Eilerman. An MSJ error got Eilerman to third, and Jesse Reliford got him home with a sacrifice fly right field. Leading 3-1, WC looked to add to that by loading the bases with one out in the fifth, but a 5-4-3 double play ended the threat. The Lions used that momentum to tie the game over the next two innings, scoring runs with two outs in both the sixth and seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, the Quakers regained the advantage as Eilerman hit a sacrifice fly scoring an unearned run and Scheben doubled home Caleb Scott.
Trailing 5-3, a two-out triple from Max Kline scored a run in the eighth, but a pop-out got the Quakers out of the inning. MSJ mounted one more rally in the ninth as a one-out walk got to third base via a stolen base and a flyout. Similar to the previous inning, however, a pop-out secure a WC victory.
Mac Davis received a no-decision despite a quality start of six innings with six strikeouts and two earned runs surrendered. Trent Mendenhall, who pitched the final three innings, improved to 4-5 by scattering four hits with four strikeouts. Ryan Caulfield, the fourth Lion to pitch, fell to 0-2 on the season allowing one earned run with two walks.
Eilerman finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Wilmington offense. Scheben, Depa and Shaneyfelt also had multi-hit games with Shaneyfelt stealing two bases. The top two of the Lion order - Anton Mere and Carter Owen - accounted for four of the team's eight hits.
Wilmington (15-20) will close out its home slate on Saturday against John Carroll University. The Senior Day Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) series is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
