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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Konner Hauck vs. BW on 4-14-26
Gavin Hunter
Konner Hauck celebrated his birthday by knocking home the game-winning run
10
Baldwin Wallace BWU 20-8
11
Winner John Carroll JCU 18-7
Baldwin Wallace BWU
20-8
10
Final
11
John Carroll JCU
18-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Baldwin Wallace BWU 1 1 1 3 0 0 3 0 1 10 14 1
John Carroll JCU 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 11 14 1

W: Corll, Jake (4-1) L: Evan Lafferty (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

WALKOFF WWWWIN: Baseball Beats #17 Baldwin Wallace in a Wild Finish at Schweickert

The Blue Streaks scored 5 runs in the 9th inning for a fourth straight home walkoff victory

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – Magic is in the air for John Carroll Baseball at Schweickert Field this season.

For the fourth straight home game, the Blue Streaks won in walkoff fashion, and this comeback may have been the most impressive. 

The Blue Streaks roared for 5 runs in the bottom of the ninth to shock the #17 Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets in an insane 11-10 victory. 

You simply had to witness JCU's ninth inning to believe it. But if you're reading this, you likely missed it, so we'll try to recreate the wonder for you. It involves balks, a mid at-bat pitching change, and a birthday present.

The inning started normally enough, with a groundout and then an innocent Nico Ruoti single to right. A Brett Krugman double to deep left set two runners aboard with one out. Still, the Yellow Jackets felt mostly in control.

And then in a wild turn of events, the BW pitcher committed back-to-back balks, shocking the crowd and scoring both runners to slim the margin to 10-8. Even then, a comeback was not assured.

A George Haracz single past the shortstop brought the tying run to the plate. A Dominic Trivisonno double down the left field line led BW to go to the bullpen with the winning run at the dish. A high throw on a failed pickoff allowed one run to score and the tying man (pinchrunner Dylan Sowers) to reach third. With a 3-2 count to Thomas Bates, BW shockingly went to the bullpen again. The BW reliever's first pitch was a ball to walk Bates. And then, he plunked pinchhitter Keaton Phillips to load the bases. 

Konner Hauck, playing on his birthday, got down in the count 0-2 before lofting a hit over the outreached glove of the BW second baseman. Sowers scored easily. The BW right fielder came charging in, but bobbled the ball on the transfer to throw, and a rushed throw couldn't beat Bates. Making it all the more special? Hauck was celebrating his birthday. A party followed in the outfield after his game winner.

While walkoffs have become the norm this season for JCU, this one was different, with an electric feel to it for good reason. The victory snapped a 4-game losing streak in the series with BW and marked a memorable chapter in a 105-game rivalry between the crosstown foes. 

The victory marked JCU's first walkoff over Baldwin Wallace at Schweickert Field since 2006, a 10-9 win in 7 innings. 

The visitors tallied a run in each of the first two frames, but Kiayuan Baskerville limited the damage. The hosts got a run back in the second, as Chris Bach and Thomas Bates tabbed back-to-back 1-out singles before Jalen Jackson got Bach home on a sacrifice bunt. But the best was yet to come in the third. 

The fun began with a Hauck hit by pitch. Following a flyout, Ethan Glossa began a hit parade with a single to right. Ruoti got aboard with a hit by pitch. Krugman, Haracz, and Chris Bach rocketed three straight hits, grabbing the lead for JCU with a bit of breathing room. The Blue Streaks suddenly possessed a 6-3 lead heading into the fourth following one of the team's best offensive innings of the season to date. 

But the Yellow Jackets quickly answered with a 2-run shot over the field in left, and got two aboard with one out. And so, Bobby Bell turned to the bullpen. Drew Walker allowed the game-tying run to score, but got out of the inning with a 6-6 tie intact.

The fifth inning was the first scoreless one of the day for both teams, but did not lack for contact, as JCU's three outs in the frame were all flyouts. Frank Freeman looked good on the mound for JCU, keeping BW off the board again in the sixth. But a miscommunication on a shallow flyball allowed the Yellow Jackets to sneak ahead with a 3-run inning before Jake Corll shut it down. BW later added an insurance run in the ninth to make it 10-6.

What ensued was the absolutely bonkers bottom of the ninth inning.

Next Up
The Blue Streaks will remain at Schweickert Field, hosting Wittenberg University on Saturday for a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader. Be there for Dollar Dog Day!  

Trivia question: Name the Blue Streak hitter who knocked in the game-winning run back in 2006 when JCU walked off BW. Hint: This three-time all-conference hitter hails from Boston College High School.

Previous trivia question answer: Kevin Rosinski
Question: Name the reliever who earned both saves in the 2012 games vs. Muskingum. The Evanston, Illinois native led the team with 4 saves that season, finishing with a sterling 0.56 ERA in 14 appearances.
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