PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- When the going gets late in the regular season and as the postseason approaches, it's always critical to be able to find different ways to win contests in any team sport.
The baseball program at Shawnee State did just that Saturday -- as the Bears run-ruled Indiana-Columbus by posting 11 runs on 12 hits and getting a three-hitter from Jakobe Reese through six innings of work in its opening game of the day, then rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to win in walkoff fashion -- as a leadoff home run in the seventh inning by Wyatt Haupt tied the game and a throwing error on a one-out outfield flyout from Mason Reid allowed Nolan Tressler to come home with the difference-making run to secure a 3-2 victory and the series sweep in the capping game of the Bears' successful affairs against the Crimson Pride Saturday evening at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth.
Importance of series sweep
Saturday's victories and the weekend sweep, which have the Bears at 22-14 overall and 11-9 in River States Conference play as of Saturday evening, gives Shawnee State possession of third place in the River States Conference Standings as Shawnee State, who is tied with Indiana-Kokomo for third place by conference record, holds the tiebreak by virtue of winning two games out of three at Kokomo on March 8 and 9.
In addition to the Cougars, Shawnee State also holds the conference tiebreakers over what would be the current No. 5 and No. 6 seeds for the River States Conference Tournament -- Brescia (Ky.) and Midway (Ky.) -- by virtue of winning two out of three games against the Bearcats and Eagles.
Presently, the Bears sit four games ahead of West Virginia Tech and Rio Grande -- who are presently on the outside looking in of the RSC Tournament field.
Game 1
Shawnee State left little doubt as to Game 1's result, scoring seven runs over the opening three innings of play en route to cruising to the eight-inning mercy rule.
With two gone in the opening inning, Diego Mendoza's triple to the left center field track was followed by a two-out RBI single by Mason Reid, who scored courtesy runner Nathan Mentzel to put the Bears ahead by a 1-0 margin.
SSU followed with three-run numbers over the second and third innings. Jace Parnin's leadoff walk in the second, followed by a Zach Gaspar single to right field, a sacrifice bunt by Wyatt Haupt and a wild pitch allowed Parnin to score, while Nolan Tressler's RBI groundout and a left field poke shot by Eli Jones increased Shawnee State's lead to a 4-0 count after two innings complete. In the third, Reid's leadoff single and a double down the left field line by Warner put both players in scoring position -- with both players coming across on back-to-back RBI singles by Parnin and Gaspar, respectively. Parnin then scored on a wild pitch as Shawnee State built its lead to a 7-0 count.
As Jakobe Reese, who allowed just three hits and an earned run while striking out five and walking only one in six innings, stayed in a groove, Shawnee State ultimately was able to build on its lead. With Shawnee State up 8-1 heading into the eighth, a leadoff single by Tyler Lund was followed by a two-run crank to right field by Tressler, pushing the lead to a 10-1 count, while two walks and a hit by pitch were followed by an error, plating the final run.
For the contest, Gaspar (3-for-4, RBI, run scored), Reid (2-for-4, RBI, run scored) and Lund (2-for-3, walk, two runs scored) led Shawnee State from a multi-hit perspective, while Tressler (1-for-5, home run, three RBI, run scored), Parnin (1-for-4, walk, two RBI, two runs scored), Warner (1-for-3, walk, two runs scored), Mendoza (1-for-4) and Eli Jones (1-for-4, walk, RBI) all produced in the hit column.
Game 2
For much of Game 2, Shawnee State battled from behind as the Bears got a two-out RBI single from Hunter Warner in the bottom of the third inning but were otherwise held off of the scoreboard as two separate RBI doubles by Cyrus Robinson and Jack VonDielingen earlier in the third frame allowed Indiana-Columbus to take a 2-1 lead, which it kept -- until the Bears struck with thunder in the seventh and lightning in the ninth.
Down to its final three outs in Game 2, Wyatt Haupt changed that in a hurry -- as the freshman reared back and drilled a ball that kept carrying and catching air all the way until the ball cleared the right center field fence -- tying the score at two all.
While Shawnee State nearly scored again -- but had a lead runner called out on a bang-bang play at the plate -- the Bears delivered two innings later with the goods, as after a hit batter and a one-out single to the left side by Diego Mendoza, Mason Reid's one-out fly ball to left field was caught, but misplayed between the throw in to the cutoff man at shortstop, allowing Nolan Tressler to trot his way home as the game-winning run.
For the contest, Tressler (2-for-4, run scored), Mendoza (2-for-5) and Zach Gaspar (2-for-4) led Shawnee State with multi-hit performances while Haupt (1-for-2, home run, RBI, sacrifice, run scored), Reid (1-for-4, walk, RBI), Hunter Warner (1-for-4, RBI) and Eli Jones (1-for-5) also produced for the Bears.
Pitching-wise, sophomore Carson Wireman recovered after giving up two earned in the third frame to deliver a strong outing, throwing eight innings of six-hit baseball while striking out an impressive 13 batters and walking only one on 117 pitches -- with 87 of those 117 pitches being thrown for strikes.
Additional
Shawnee State (22-14) will step out of conference play this week, as the Bears will see its lone action Friday with a doubleheader against Georgetown (Ky.) at Branch Rickey Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
