Scott BresslerWashington University baseball concluded UAA play this weekend with three resounding victories and one close loss against the University of Chicago and host Case Western Reserve University. The team is now 14-11 (6-4 UAA).
The Bears opened both Saturday and Sunday with games against the Maroons, who were not at the University Athletic Association Championship over spring break. Junior ace Brian Williams improved to 4-6 after another complete game, as he surrendered one run on five hits. Williams struck out five and did not allow a walk.
Wash. U. scored one in the first, one in the fifth, four in the seventh and one in the eighth in the 7-1 victory. Juniors Gregg Kennedy and Zander Lehmann each got one hit and knocked in two runs, while freshman Matt Skinner went 3-4 with two runs scored. Skinner was knocked in both times by junior Andy Webb, who also went 3-4 and scored a run.
The Red and Green recorded their second win against the Spartans this season later Saturday afternoon behind a dominating performance by sophomore Jeremy Rogoff. Rogoff pitched six shutout innings while scattering four hits and four walks; he struck out fourteen. He improved to 3-2 on the season.
The offense also exploded for 12 runs, and with the score 12-1 after seven innings, the game was called due to the mercy rule. The Bears scored three runs or fewer each inning but scored in all but the third inning.
Freshman Matt Bayer led the team with four RBIs and two runs scored, and he went 3-5 with a two-run home run, his second this season. Skinner also went 2-4 with four RBIs. Junior Scott Kennedy and senior Dave Working also recorded multi-hit games.
Webb improved to 2-0 on the season after he pitched a complete game on Sunday against the Maroons. Webb surrendered two runs on five hits and struck out eight in the 8-2 win.
The offense struck early with four runs in the first off of Chicago’s Alex Gallan. Gallan then settled down until the fourth, when he surrendered two more runs; Wash. U. also scored two in the sixth.
Working, Gregg Kennedy and Lehmann scored six of eight runs and recorded nine of 13 hits in the top three slots in the batting order. All three recorded three hits, and Kennedy plated three while Lehmann plated two.
The Bears lost their weekend finale on Sunday to the Spartans 8-7. Four pitchers were needed to piece together eight innings.
Wash. U. scored the first runs of the game in the third, plating two on sacrifice flies by Gregg Kennedy and Lehmann, which scored Webb and Working.
The lead stretched to 4-0 the next inning on a double by sophomore Remy Midkiff and a few walks and Spartan errors.
Case took the lead in the bottom of the frame, scoring five times on just three hits and three walks. The Red and Green would tie and then retake the lead after runs in the sixth and seventh. Sophomore Nick Vom Brack hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Scott Kennedy singled in Lehmann in the seventh.
Case rallied with another big inning, plating three runs on three hits and two walks, all with two outs. Each hit was also a single.
Vom Brack answered with his second home run of the year, but the Bears could not score the equalizer off of Case’s Kale Aron.
The season comes to an end this weekend with games Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Wash. U. travels to Maryville University on Thursday before ending the season at home with a doubleheader against California State East Bay on Friday at noon and a 3 p.m. contest with Greenville College on Saturday.
Members of the baseball team could not be reached for comment because they were in transit at press time.