| The College of Wooster
The College of Wooster’s notable run – and the North Coast Athletic Conference’s record for consecutive baseball championships – ended Friday afternoon when Denison University denied the Fighting Scots a fifth straight title that won the winner. All-rounder of the NCAC Championship Series 10-5 at Art Murray Field.
Wooster (25-13) scored the first hit in the rubber match on Friday, with junior shortstop Tyler Chumita tying up a double left field with two basic rules in the third inning. Junior catcher Alex Gasper led the inning with his first goal of the championship series, and Junior Center Fielder Ben Gbur’s shot on the right field line went straight into the suit. Junior right fielder Ben Hines, Wooster’s best batsman of the week, brought everyone to a sacrifice that was variegated before the double.
Denison (23-11), who won his second NCAC tournament / championship series in a row in the winner-take-all game against Wooster, took the lead in the lower third of the triple homer of left field player Will Krushena. The longball contributed significantly to Denison’s success. Center fielder Ty Robinson scored a two-run shot for his first thing of the year in the fifth game, and Brian McAuliffe, senior first baseman, broke the game with his team-leading 12th roundtripper well into the seventh of the year. McAuliffe’s thing made it a 10-2 game.
While the bulkheads had too big a hole to climb out of, Wooster made it interesting in the ninth. Senior pinch hitter Noah Clement tore a single into the center right and senior second baseman Gabe Sherman pitched in the opposite direction for a single in his final style, Murray at Bat. Gbur later hit a two-part single and Hines pulled over the last run of the Scots for his sixth RBI of the championship series.
Both teams finished with 14 goals. Chumita had three of Woosters while Gbur, Hines and Sherman all had two, as did first-year batsman Eli Westrick, who finished the championship streak at five. In the first year, Corey Knauf (1-1) allowed three inexperienced runs in his 2 2/3 innings of work. Sophomore Ryan Sullivan and Junior Colin Springer were among the five relief mugs the Scots used, and they each had a goalless frame.
One of Wooster’s biggest highlights was the third when left junior fielder Dominic Stilliana was laid out for catcher Daniel Spencer’s fly ball in the gap. This highlight roll catch saved two runs as it marked the last run of the inning.
Krushena went 3-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored, batsman-designate Dylan Hunter went 3-4 with two runs, and Junior Will McManaman had his best career against the Scots. McManaman allowed two runs with seven hits in six innings. Jack Arnstein (except 3) went the rest of the way, allowing three runs with seven hits in three innings with five strokes. He was named the MVP of the NCAC Championship Series, in large part due to his six innings with two hits in Thursday’s 13-inning marathon, which Denison won 7-6.
Because of Friday’s win, Denison is the NCAC’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA Div. III Regional tournament. Wooster has to remain hopeful that he will see his name as one of the Pool C teams (overall) when the national selection committee announces the field late Sunday evening (May 23rd). There are only 48 teams in the tournament this year as the field size has been reduced with COVID, so only six bids between Pool B and Pool C are available this spring.
Should it be the end of the line for the Scottish 2021 season, this year’s Senior Class won – Clement, pitcher Jay DiBacco, pitcher Evan Faxon, pitcher Jack Jones, outfielder Zach Schuch, Sherman and pitcher Steve Spidell – 99 games (99) -42) , won two NCAC titles and made two NCAA appearances, including a “Div. III World Series ”in 2018.