WILMINGTON, Ohio – Aaron Boster set a program record with 19 strikeouts in the nightcap of an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) series as the Wilmington College baseball team split with John Carroll University in the final games at Tewksbury-Delaney Field for the 2023 season on Saturday. The Blue Streaks took game one 7-6 while the Quakers won the nightcap 7-5.
Senior David Ernst got the start in game one and had the longest outing for the season and second-longest outing of his career. After hitting Blue Streak lead-off hitter Joe Olsavsky in the first inning, Ernst settled in. Olsavsky would steal second and third, but was easily thrown out trying to steal home.
After that, Ernst and Blue Streak starter Matthew Aukerman held both offenses scoreless through three innings. In the fourth, however, JCU loaded the bases with no outs on three weak-hit singles that found space. A sacrifice fly scored the game's first run, but Ernst caught Logan LaMere looking and induced a flyout to end the frame. In the bottom half of the inning, the Quakers followed suit as Jared Lammert led off with a double, advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Dominic Depa.
After a scoreless fifth inning from both sides, JCU again loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Fortunately for WC, the inning ended just like the fourth as Ernst struck out a batter for the second out, and got out of the inning without surrendering a run by fielding his position.
John Carroll got the first two runners on base in the seventh, forcing Wilmington Head Coach Tony Vittorio to go to the bullpen. Senior GlenAllen Anderson allowed one more hit, but a Quaker error plated a third unearned run to give the Blue Streaks a 4-1 advantage. The hosts rallied, however, in the eighth by loading the bases with no outs. Jared Lammert then singled through the left side to score two runs, and Depa doubled down the left field line to plate the game-tying run. The inning appeared to be over as Evan Eilerman grounded to second base, but the ball was mishandled by the Blue Streaks, resulting in two more runs scoring.
Austin Christman entered in the ninth in a save situation, but his outing lasted two batters as the senior gave up a solo home run and hit a batter. Zach Shepherd entered, and after a sacrifice bunt, the Quakers intentionally walked a batter to load the bases. Logan LaMere then hit a ground ball to second, but Wilmington was unable to turn the double play as Eilerman was slid into at second base. No obstruction was called, and the Blue Streaks would go on to win game one 7-6.
In the nightcap, Boster got things started with a four strikeout inning, though he did surrender a run as a passed ball on strike three caused a runner to reach base. Wilmington answered immediately, however, batting around in the bottom of the inning. The Quakers drew three walks, and all three scored as Caleb Scott and Depa drove them in.
Up 5-1 after one, the hosts added two more runs with two outs in the third. Eilerman drew a walk, and Carter Scheben and Evan Kelsey hit consecutive doubles. That would be all the support the Quakers needed. Justin Hanley made things interesting, however, hitting two solo home runs to left field, becoming JCU's career home run leader in the process. Two runs in the seventh along with those two bombs set up for a tense ninth inning. Trent Mendenhall came in relief of Boster, and though the Blue Streaks got the tying run to the plate, a flyout and a strikeout ended the game.
Boster improved to 4-4 on the season with a performance for the ages. The junior threw 128 pitches, 88 of the strikes, and struck out 19 JCU batters while scattering seven hits and a walk in eight innings. Mendenhall earned his first save of the season. Jon Ambro dipped to 4-2 allowing seven earned runs with five walks in 2.2 innings. Henry Darrow pitched the final 5.1 innings for the visitors and allowed just three hits with a strikeout.
Scheben finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs in game two while Kelsey went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Wilmington, which allowed eight stolen bases in game one, swiped four of its own in the nightcap while not surrendering one. Hanley led the JCU offensive effort in game two with the two home runs in defeat.
Wilmington (16-21, 4-12 OAC) will close out its 2023 season at Otterbein University next Saturday.
