Down to the team's final strike and down a run in the bottom of the 11th inning, Case Western Reserve University University graduate student third baseman Zack Carinci connected on a game-winning two-run home run to lift the Spartans to a 12-11 win over Wittenberg University in the team's first game at the Marietta/ BSN Sports Invitational in Marietta, Ohio on Friday afternoon.

The victory extended the team's winning streak to six games as the Spartans improved to 9-4 overall. The Tigers dropped to 7-4 with the loss.

The Spartans fell behind by a run in the top of the 11th and making the first two outs in the bottom of the frame, senior left fielder Logan Andreyko singled to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat to extend the game and bring Carinci to the plate. Carinci fell behind in the count 1-2 before taking a ball and then launching the 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field to win the game for the Spartans.

It was the first home run of the season for Carinci, who finished the game one-for-two at the plate with two runs and two RBIs after entering the contest as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh. Andreyko added a four-for-five performance with a double, a triple, two runs, and two RBIs. Senior right fielder Nick Harms went three-for-four and was a double shy of the cycle with two runs, an RBI, and two walks. Sophomore shortstop Nate Arterburn was three-for-five with a run and two RBIs, while sophomore first baseman Tyler Stillson connected a home run as well.

Wittenberg scored three runs off CWRU left-handed sophomore starter Quinn Saunders in the top of the second inning to take the early lead. The Spartans responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Arterburn that scored junior designated hitter Sean Donahue. After the Tigers scored again in the top of the third, CWRU answered again in the bottom of the frame when Harms tripled and scored on a wild pitch with two outs to set the score to 4-2. The Spartans third-inning rally continued with junior center fielder Matt Trout walking, Donahue singling, and Andreyko clearing the bases with a triple to knot the score at 4-4 heading into the fourth.

CWRU went on to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Arterburn led the inning off with a single, moved to third on a double by Anderson, and scored on a wild pitch. Anderson added a run on an RBI groundout by Stillson to extend the team's lead to 6-4 and a solo home run by Harms, his fourth of the season, to put CWRU ahead by three.

Saunders went three innings and allowed one earned run (four total) on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts. First-year righty Cody Hughes followed with two scoreless innings before leaving the game with two runners on in the sixth, both of which eventually came around to score to trim the Spartans' lead to 7-6.

CWRU got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Stillson, his second of the campaign, to put the Spartans ahead 8-6. Wittenberg brought it back to a one-run game with a run in the top of the seventh off first-year righty Oliver Miller, but junior right-handed pitcher Austin McGowan entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded and induced an inning-ending groundout to preserve the Spartan advantage. However, a two-out solo home run from Wittenberg in the top of the eighth knotted the score at 8-8.

The Spartans wasted little time taking the lead back in the bottom of the eighth. Andreyko led the inning off with a bunt single and Carinci reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Arterburn then executed a perfect fake bunt, sending a ground ball through the vacated left side of the infield to drive in Andreyko and put CWRU back in front. Graduate student catcher Jack Anderson followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Carinci and extend the lead to 10-8 heading into the ninth. However, Wittenberg answered again, tying the game with two outs in the inning and sending the contest to the Spartans' half of the ninth.

The game remained tied at 10-10 through the tenth, but the Tigers loaded the bases in the 11th and scored the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze play, setting up Carinci's heroics in the bottom of the inning.

Anderson, who pitched the final three innings, earned the win to improve to 1-0 on the season. Wittenberg reliever Charlie Schafer suffered the loss to drop to 0-1 for the campaign.

The Spartans will conclude their spring break trip on Saturday with two final games at the Marietta/ BSN Sports Invitational, facing Johnson & Wales College at 2:30 p.m. and Marietta College at 5:30 p.m.

Spartan Notes

• CWRU outhit Wittenberg 16-13, matching the team's season-high for hits in a game.

• Anderson, who went two-for-four at the plate, has now hit safely in all 13 games this season and in 25 straight games dating back to last season. With his two hits on Friday, he now has 250 for his career, matching former Spartan Matt Keen (2008-11) for the second-most in program history. He is 13 hits away from the program record of 263, currently held by Chad Mullins (2008-11).

• Anderson is also one of two CWRU players to reach base in each of the team's 13 games this year along with Harms.

• Harms' home run was the 35th of his career, extending his program record. He now has 13 more than the next closest player in program history.

• The win was the Spartans' third straight against Wittenberg as CWRU improved to 9-14 all-time against the Tigers. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2021 when they played each other six times during the season.