BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team started its NCAA Division III Super Regionals weekend off with a 4-0 victory over Messiah (Pa.) University at Fisher Field to take a one game to nothing lead in a best-of-three series.
The Yellow Jackets (35-10) won by virtue of another dominant performance by senior starting pitcher and left-handed ace Brit Kostura (Tequesta, Fla./Jupiter Christian School), who has pitched consecutive complete games and a three-run blast over the center field wall by Junior second-basemen Carson Petrecca (Willowick/Eastlake North).
Outside of Petrecca, the team scored just one run on six hits, but it was enough to pull away with an early series lead with two games remaining at the most still to be played against the Falcons (36-14).
"At this point of the season, we just want to be the best team on the field day by day," Coach Brian Harrison said. "We've done that so far but there's still room to improve."
Scoring Summary
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Bottom 1st – With one out and nobody on, the Yellow Jackets put two runners on base before a three-run bomb by Petrecca followed which went over the left field seats; his seventh of the year and his second of the NCAA Tournament
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Bottom 8th – Junior catcher Mason Fixx (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) had an RBI double down the left field line to score an insurance run and end the Brown and Gold's longest scoring drought in four NCAA Tournament games
At the Plate
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Petrecca also had a single and a walk to go with his day; tallying his second consecutive game with at least two hits and has hit at least once in all four NCAA Tournament games
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Sophomore left fielder Mario Escano (Broadview Heights/North Royalton) was the only other BW player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double
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Junior designated hitter Colin West (Westborough, Mass./Worcester Academy) had two walks and was one of the runners who scored on the Petrecca homer
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Senior OAC Player of the Year Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider (Grove City) had one hit in two at bats and walked twice; he was the other run of the Petrecca homer
On the Mound
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Kostura once again pitched a complete game for the second time of this tournament. He threw a total of 142 pitches, allowing only four hits and not issuing a single walk; he now holds a 1.44 ERA, a 3-0 win-loss record and only issuing two walks in 25 innings pitched this postseason (OAC and NCAA Tournaments)
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets are back in action tomorrow, May 22 where they will play one and potentially two games against Messiah (Pa.) University. First pitch for the first game is scheduled for 11 a.m. with a potential game three starting 45 minutes after the first contest. Fans can
click here for full video coverage and they can also get radio coverage
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