MARIETTA, Ohio – After winning yesterday in thrilling fashion, the No. 6-seeded Case Western Reserve University baseball team lost to No. 2 seed and nationally-ranked Heidelberg University, 8-1, on the second day (Thursday, April 19) of the NCAA Mideast Regional at Don Schaly Stadium.

Weather permitting, the Spartans (31-14 overall) will now face an elimination game tonight at 8:00 p.m. versus No. 7 seed Penn State University-Altoona. Heidelberg (35-11) advances to play either Marietta College or Franklin College (Ind.) tomorrow at noon.  

Heidelberg jumped on the board in the top of the third when Elvin Williams laced an RBI double to left. After a walk, Ricardo Lizcano snuck a single to left to plate Williams and Willie Brechun hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Gar Keen.

Junior leftfielder Jimmy Abed (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) got the Spartans going in the bottom of the third with a solo homerun to left – his second of the year – but "Berg" starter Ethan Holt was able to strand a pair of runners later in the inning to keep the score at 3-1.

The Student Princes then tacked on two more in the fourth with some help from a Spartan error and added one more in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk. Single runs in the seventh and eighth brought the score to 8-1.

Senior Devin Dye (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) started on the mound and surrendered three runs in three innings to fall to 3-3. Overall, four Spartans pitched in the game with freshman John Fortunato (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales) logging a high of 4.2 innings.

Holt (9-2) tossed eight innings with just one run on four hits for Heidelberg.