BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Muskingum College, 56-20, today (Saturday, October 13, 2007) at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea on Homecoming before 5,346 fans.
 
With its win, B-W is now 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the OAC and ended a two-game losing streak. The Yellow Jackets also have beaten Muskingum two straigth times and 11 of the past 12 meetings to increased its all-time series advantage to 36-13-2. Muskingum is now 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the OAC and has lost 14 of its past 16 contests dating back to last season.
 
B-W led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, 35-7 at halftime and 42-14 after three periods.
 
B-W jumped out to a 7-0 lead at the 11:19 mark of the first quarter when senior running back Nick Ranallo (Twinsburg) ran one yard to paydirt and senior placekicker Adam Wilburn (Bucyrus/ Wynford) made the point-after-touchdown kick. Ranallo's TD run capped a nine-play and 53-yard drive. B-W increased its lead to 14-0 at the 8:33 mark when senior quarterback Mickey Mental (Olmsted Falls) threw an 80-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Vinny Latessa (Wickliffe) on the first play following a Muskingum punt. Wilburn tacked on the PAT. B-W closed out the first quarter scoring with five seconds left when freshman RB John McGraw (North Ridgeville) capped a 14-play and 77-yard drive with a four-yard TD run and Wilburn kicked the PAT for a 21-0 lead.
 
In the second quarter, Muskingum closed to with 21-7 when junior QB Andre Nash ran 12 yards for a TD and senior PK Mike Zimmermann made the PAT. B-W increased its lead to 28-7 at the 4:56 mark when Ranallo scored on a one-yard run and Wilburn made his fourth straight PAT kick. B-W closed out the first half scoring at the 35-second mark when McGraw scored on a one-yard run to cap an eight play and 55-yard drive and Wilburn made the PAT.
 
In the third stanza, the Muskies made the score 35-14 when Nash threw a nine-yard scoring pass to sophomore WR Josh Grafton and Zimmermann made his second PAT. B-W then countered with a two-play 49-yard TD capped by an 18-yard scoring strike from Mental to Latessa. Wilburn's PAT made the score 42-14.
 
In the fourth stanza, B-W increased its lead to 49-14 at the 14:55 mark when Mental threw a six-yard TD pass to junior FB Craig Lindsley (Huron/ Senior) and Wilburn booted the PAT. B-W added to its lead at the 5:20 mark when sophomore fullback Scott Weber (Canal Fulton/ Northwest) scored his first vcareer TD on a one-yard run and senior All-American punter Kevin Soflkiancs (Middleburg Heights/ Midpark) kicked the PAT. Muskingum scored the final points on a 30-yard run by freshman RB Demetrius Bailey with 2:19 left but Zimmermann's PAT kick was blocked.
 
Offensively, the Yellow Jackets were led by Mental, Latessa, McGraw and Rannalo.  Mental completed 17-of- 22 passes for 315 yards and three TD. Latessa set a Finnie Stadium record with 186 receiving yards as he caught eight passes, including two for TD. McGraw led all runners with 73 yards in 16 attempts with two TD and Ranallo gained 68 yards in 14 attempts with two TD. The B-W defense was led by junior All-OAC defensive tackle Joe Kowalski (Macedonia/ Nordonia) with 10 tackles, including 3.5 QB sacks for minus 20 yards in losses. Also, junior defensive end Jeremiah Chronister (Ashland/ Senior) had nine stops.
 
Muskingum was led on offense by Nash and Grafton. Nash completed 14-of-22 passes for 187 yards with one TD. Grafton and junior WR Jack Murray each topped the Muskies with four catches. Grafton had four for 87 yards and a TD. The leading rusher was junior RB Steve Mamk with nine carries for 28 yards. The Muskie defense was led by sophomore linebacker Corey Swinderman with a game-high 11 tackles and senior linebacker Sam Miller with 10 tackles.
 
B-W next plays on Saturday, October 20 when it travels to Alliance to play Mount Union College at Mt. Union Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Fans can listen to that game on B-W campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, or via the WBWC Internet Web site at www.wbwc.com.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.  To contact Head Coach John Snell, please call him at 440-826-2069 or 8195, FAX him at 440-826-2192 or e-mail him at jsnell@bw.edu.