BEREA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship team as it swept Marietta College in an OAC doubleheader by final scores of 1-0 and 5-4 at Fisher Field.
Between games, the BW baseball team welcomed back members of the 1985 team that won the first-ever OAC Tournament by twice defeating two-time national champion Marietta College in the championship series to clinch the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. The 1985 Yellow Jackets, led by Hall of Fame Head Coach Bob Fisher, went on to the Midwest Region where its season-ended against number-one ranked and unbeaten Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the regional championship game. BW finished the season with an overall record of 24-15 and a 14-1 record in the OAC.
Game 1
Scoring Plays
- Bottom 8th - Senior infielder Grant Mitchell (Avon) broke the scoreless tie with a pinch-hit, RBI double to propel the Brown and Gold to victory
At the Plate
- Senior infielder Harrison Johnson (Mason/William Mason) went 1-for-1 with a clutch pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth to put the go-ahead run on base
- Mitchell finished 1-for-1 with the game's only RBI
- Four other Jackets scratched out a hit in the pitcher's duel
On the Mound
- Senior All-OAC right-hander Vince Dolcemaschio (Los Angeles, Calif./Windward School) pitched his first-career complete game shutout as he struck out seven, walked one, and limited the Pioneers to only four hits
Game 2
Scoring Plays
- Bottom 2nd - Senior Academic All-OAC third baseman Noah English (Perrysburg) put BW on the board as he grounded out to score the runner from third
- Bottom 5th - A costly Marietta error allowed two BW runs to score after sophomore designated hitter Colin West (Westborough, Mass./Worcester Academy) put the ball in play
- Bottom 5th - Senior All-OAC first baseman Mally Kilbane (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) singled up the middle to take advantage of the Pioneer miscue
- Bottom 8th - Johnson drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in West as the go-ahead run
At the Plate
- Kilbane went 3-for-4 at the plate with three singles, an RBI, and a stolen base
- Senior outfielder Justin Carinci (Ajax, Ontario/Pickering) finished 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored
- Sophomore catcher Mason Fixx (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) scored one run and supplied the only other hit for the Jackets with a single
On the Mound
- Junior Academic All-OAC left-hander Brit Kostura (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian School) took a perfect game into the eighth inning on his way to 10 strikeouts while allowing only three runs on two hits
- Senior right-hander Patrick Straub (Naperville, Ill./Metea Valley) pitched two thirds of the eighth in relief where he struck out two and allowed one run on two hits
- Sophomore All-OAC right-hander Jake Heatherington (Bellaire) picked up his second straight win as he struck out three of his five batters through 1.1 innings
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, April 9 as they travel to Alliance to take on the University of Mount Union in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Rafeld-Rogers Field.
