Box ScoreMARIETTA — Case Western Reserve, the No. 2 seed, left little doubt that it wanted to keep playing baseball in the 2014 NCAA Mideast Regional at Marietta College's Don Schaly Stadium.
The Spartans scored five runs in the first inning en route to an 18-3 shellacking of Thomas More (25-19) Sunday. With the win, CWRU tied a school record in wins with 33 and faces Widener (33-12) later Sunday.
The winner of that game will need to defeat Salisbury (36-7) twice on Monday if either wants to make their first appearance in the Division III Baseball Championship.
CWRU third baseman Andrew Gronski went 3-for-5 with one RBI and four runs, while breaking the school record for career hits with 83. The Spartans had six doubles and 23 hits, while scoring two runs in the second, four in the fourth, three in the sixth and four in the eighth.
Spartans first baseman Noah Sherman went 4-for-5 with four RBI, while centerfielder Aaron Cain went 4-for-6 with four RBI. Seven of CWRU's starters had at least one hit and substitute Josh Neal went 2-for-2 with one RBI after entering the game in the sixth inning.
Lee Penzarella (2-0) scattered four hits and allowed three runs — two earned — over eight innings. Connor Faix pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Tommy Arnzen went 1-for-1 with an RBI for Thomas More.
