PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida -- The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team, ranked 17th in Division III in the March 8 D3baseball.com national poll, defeated Montclair State (N.J.) University, 7-1, in its seventh game on its annual spring break trip to Port Charlotte, Florida.  The Yellow Jackets (7-0) play Salem State (Mass.) University in their final game today at 1:00 p.m.

BW is off to its best start in school history and beat Montclair State (1-6) for the second time on the trip. BW has dominated its opponents in recent days and have doubled the score on the opposition, 54-27, in its seven games.

The Jackets opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when junior two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference second baseman/ pitcher Mark Zimmerman (Akron/ Green) tripled and came home when juniuor All-OAC designtaed hitter Hunter Handel (Akron/ Green) singled. BW gained a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Zimmerman doubled, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a ground out.  The lead increased to 3-0 in the fifth when freshman OF Chase Knodle (Poland/ Seminary) led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by All-OAC outfielder Zach Ferster (Olmsted Falls.)

BW made it 6-0 in the top of the seventh when junior Academic All-OAC OF John Taylor (Stow/ Hudson) singled, moved to second on a one-out single by sophomore third baseman Cole Nieto (Brunswick/ Cleveland St. Ignatius), and after the second out was recorded, Zimmerman blasted his first home run of the season -- a three-run shot.  The Jackets scored their final run in the eighth when senior All-OAC shortstop Eric Murphy (Brook Park/ Midpark) singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, to third on a single on a pinch hit by freshman Spencer Badia (Bellaire) and scored on a passed ball.

The BW hitters were led by Zimmerman who went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, homer, three runs scored and three runs batted-in (RBI). Taylor also had three hits and was 3-for-3. In addition, Handel was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Murphy was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

On the mound, senior All-OAC right-hander and staff ace Cory Waite (Willoughby/ South) started and pitched the first seven innings to gain the win and improve to 2-0. He has not allowed a run in 14 innings of work so far. Today, he allowed nine base hits, no runs, struck out five Montclair State batters and walked just one. He was followed to the mound by junior righty Tom Loeffler (Shaker Heights) who pitched the final two innings, allowed four hits, one run (earned) and struck out four.

BW is back in action on Saturday, March 21 when the Yellow Jackets travel to Tiffin to open 2015 Ohio Athletic Conference play against rival Heidelberg University in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. BW opens its home schedule at Heritage Field on Tuesday, March 24 against Allegheny (Pa.) College in a single game at 4:00 p.m. After a trip to Delaware, Ohio to play Ohio Wesleyan University on March 25, the Yellow Jackets return home for a twinbill against No.16-ranked Marietta College at 1:00 p.m.