Findlay Bats Remain Cold vs. #2 Team in the Nation
The University of Findlay baseball team hung tough with the #2 team in the nation Minnesota State-Mankato and lost by a final of 2-0 on Thursday, March 6th. The loss dropped Findlay to 2-4 on the season.
A day after the Oilers played a double-header in which they were no-hit in game 1 and shut-out in game two, the bats remained cold for all nine innings, making it 22 innings straight without a run.
Findlay, the visiting team on the scoreboard, mustered four hits in the game but could not string enough of them together to push across any runs as Mankato starter Bryce Bellin.
For the third game in a row, a Findlay starter pitched at least 6.1 innings of shut-out baseball with the honor this game going to senior Drew Hargrove, who was the recipient of another tough luck loss . Hargrove handled the Mavericks potent lineup through 8 innings, pitching out of multiple jams, most notable of which came in the bottom of the second inning. The frame saw Minnesota State runners on first and third with no outs. Hargrove then took over, striking out the side to end the threat.
The Oilers and Mavericks would trade scoreless innings until the bottom of the eighth when the Mavericks finally struck with a two-RBI double, ending Hargroves day.
Needing at least two runs, the Findlay hitters were surrendered in order giving the #2 Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks their 6th win of the year.
Leading the offense for Findlay was senior Reid Rotherbuhler who collected a pair of hits in the contest.
The Oilers will be back in action at 9:00am on March 7th in a game vs. the 6-6 Point Park University Pioneers from Pittsburgh, PA.
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