The Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops went on the road April 8 to take on the DePauw Tigers at Walker Field for a doubleheader matchup. Led by their head coach Jordan Niespodziany since 2024, the Tigers came into the game with a 16-8 overall record and 2-2 in conference. After a walk-off win against Rose-Hulman in their last game, the Tigers were ambitious in beating Ohio Wesleyan, who had just lost to John Caroll 6-13 the game prior. Ohio Wesleyan came into the doubleheader with a 10-12 overall record and 1-3 in conference. 

First Game

After pitching a scoreless first inning, starting pitcher Justin Benes ‘27 had a rough start to the game, allowing four walks and two runs scored to put Ohio Wesleyan up 0-2 early in the second inning. After a slow start, Benes would quickly redeem himself, after a quick three outs in the third inning and scoreless fourth and fifth innings. The batting team had a slow start through four innings but earned its first run in the fifth inning when right fielder Connor Osborne ‘29 hit a flyball right field single, putting Osborne on first base and centerfielder Cuinn Morrow ‘28 on second. Catcher Brian Dorsey ‘28 would get the first run batted in of the game after hitting a flyball to centerfield, allowing Osborne to advance to third, and Morrow scoring, making the score 1-2. This would be a long inning for the Battling Bishops, as their starting pitcher, Parker Tomlin ‘26, would allow five more runs to be scored. After second baseman Tyler Walkey ‘28 was hit by Ohio Wesleyan’s pitch, designated hitter Aidan Howard ‘26 hit a line driver center field for a double, advancing Walkey to third and allowing two runs, scored by Dorsey and Osborne, with DePauw taking the lead 3-2. Tomlin would receive his first strikeout of the inning shortly after, catching shortstop Max Bond ‘27 swinging. Third baseman Grady Johnson ‘27 was intentionally walked, setting up runners on first and second base. This would be a costly decision for Ohio Wesleyan, as first baseman Zach O’Connell ‘28 would hit a flyball single, allowing Johnson and Howard to advance to second and third base, respectively, and Osborne to reach home plate for another run, making the score 4-2. Leftfielder Louis Florida ‘26 would hit a sacrifice flyball, allowing Howard to score, making the score 5-2. After a single from Morrow and a score by Johnson to make the game 6-2, the starting pitcher would be substituted for Marcus Suwinski ‘29. Suwinski would earn his first strikeout of the game after catching Osborne swinging, ending the long fifth inning. After a quick three-out inning from Benes at the top of the fifth inning, the Tigers’ batting team was not quite satisfied just yet. With runners on first and second base, Howard would hit a flyball double to centerfield, allowing Walkey and Dorsey to score, making the game 8-2. After six redemptive innings from Benes, closing pitcher Jaylen Windmiller ‘28 would finish out the game, allowing zero earned runs, one walk, a single hit and three strikeouts to end the game. Benes, the redemptive pitcher in the game, threw for two allowed hits, two runs, seven walks and five strikeouts. The final score was 8-2.

Second Game

The nightcap of the doubleheader was more of a casual batting practice for the Tigers’ offense, allowing 18 runs the entire game, including two home runs. Grant Castle ‘29 was the poor soul who was named the starting pitcher for the game, allowing six hits, six runs, three walks and two strikeouts through only two innings. Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when Bond and Howard scored following a double from Johnson to make the score 2-0. O’Connell would score the first home run of the game, allowing him and Johnson to reach home plate with the score being 4-0. At the next at-bat, Florida would hit a solo home run, making the score 5-0. After designated hitter Nolan Osterling ‘28 walked, Dorsey singled to left with Morrow scoring to make it 6-0. The Tigers scored six runs in three innings, forcing Ohio Wesleyan to substitute their pitcher. This did not stop the bleeding. In the fourth inning, the Tigers kept on running up the score, with runs batted in from O’Connell, Dorsey, Walkey, Howard and Bond twice. By the end of the fourth quarter, the score was 0-14. By the end of the fifth, another pitcher, substituted in for Ohio Wesleyan, did little to stop the Tigers’ scoring rampage. Runs batted in from Morrow, Howard and Bond made the score 18-0 by the end of the fifth inning. With Ohio Wesleyan unable to keep up with the Tigers offensively and defensively, the umpires, David Simpson and Timothy Wesley, called the game by the end of the seventh inning. Nate Tencza, the starting pitcher through five innings, threw for four hits, four walks and four strikeouts. The final score was 18-0. 

With 26 unanswered runs scored against Ohio Wesleyan in nine innings of play, it’s safe to say that the Tigers are on the loose. DePauw looks forward to playing another home doubleheader against Kenyon College on April 11 at noon sharp.