Tigers Fall in Walk-Off Finish, Turn Focus to NCAC Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 0 |
DELAWARE, OH - Wittenberg dropped a tightly contested Game 2 against Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday, falling 4-3 to the Battling Bishops on a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game was the back half of a doubleheader originally scheduled for Saturday that capped the 2026 regular season for both teams. Wittenberg won the opener on Saturday.
The Tigers struck first in the third inning when Tommy Chilicki (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy) delivered an RBI single to give Wittenberg an early 1-0 advantage. Ohio Wesleyan responded in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across two runs on a double and a passed ball to take a 2-1 lead.
Wittenberg answered quickly in the sixth. Quintin Applegate (Delaware, OH / Olentangy Berlin) tied the game with an RBI single, and the Tigers regained the lead in the eighth when Daniel Gladden (Galena, OH / Olentangy Berlin) ripped an RBI double to make it 3-2.
After Wittenberg went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, Ohio Wesleyan rallied in the bottom half, scoring twice on the game's final play to seal the 4-3 victory.
Despite the loss, Wittenberg's bullpen delivered a strong collective effort throughout the game. Ben Sells (Urbana, OH / Graham) opened with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts. Riley Kearns (Vermilion, OH / Vermilion) followed with 1.2 scoreless innings and a strikeout, while Lucas Patrick (Delaware, OH / Olentangy Berlin) added a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Mikey Eickoff (Akron, OH / St. Vincent-St. Mary) went 1.2 scoreless innings and three strikeouts.
With the result, Wittenberg moves to 29-9 overall and finishes North Coast Athletic Conference play at 12-4, securing the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAC Tournament. The Tigers will open tournament play against the DePauw Tigers, who enter at 27-11 overall and 11-5 in conference action. Wittenberg swept DePauw earlier this season in conference play, winning 19-3 in seven innings and 15-5 in eight innings. Since that series, DePauw has surged, including a notable win over No. 10-ranked Baldwin Wallace, setting up a competitive postseason matchup.
The Ohio Tigers and Indiana Tigers will square off at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, or approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the tournament opener between Denison and John Carroll. All games in the double elimination tournament will be played at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Written by: Luke Thomas