PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team defeated Denison University, 9-6, today (Wednesday, March 13, 2013) on the fourth day of its annual Spring Break trip at the Snowbird Baseball Classic. The win ended the Yellow Jackets' two game losing streak.

With its victory, BW is now 7-2 overall. The Big Red fell to 0-4 with its loss.

Denison scored two runs in the first inning and one in the third to grab an early 3-0 lead. BW answered in its half of the third when senior center fielder Nolan Neuschaefer (Elyria) and senior Academic All-American and All-OAC left fielder Brendan Toughey (East Amherst, N.Y./ St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) each scored after Big Red errors.

 

Denison then extended its lead to 5-2 with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Yellow Jackets responded with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth when junior third baseman Brad Gugliotta (Twinsburg) drove in two runs to cut the Big Red lead to 5-4.

BW scored three times in the sixth and took a 7-5 advantage.

 

Denison cut the lead to 7-6 in the seventh inning, but BW answered right back in the eighth with run batted-in singles by Gugliotta and sophomore shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/Midpark) to extend the Yellow Jacket lead for good at 9-6.

 

At the plate, the Yellow Jackets were led by Gugliotta with a pair of hits and three RBI. Toughey and Neuschaefer each had two hits.

On the mound, sophomore right-hander Brian Taricska (Bay Village/ Bay) started for BW and threw four and one-third innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out three batters. In relief, senior righty Will Pantages (Akron/Firestone) picked up the first victory of his career as he pitched two and two-thirds scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Freshman Brandon Cichocki (Walled Lake, Mich./ Central) threw the final two innings while recording the first save of his career.

BW returns to action tomorrow, March 14, 2013, when it plays Wheaton (Ill.) University in a single, nine-inning game at 12:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets are playing seven varsity and two junior varsity games in seven days in the Sunshine State.

 

FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics

** Photo Courtesy of Larry Pantages