Oilers Fall in 12 Inning Marathon
Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay baseball team lost by a final of 2-1 in a 12 inning marathon game at home on Wednesday, March 29 to Urbana. With the loss, the Oilers fall to 14-5 on the season while the Blue Knights improve to 9-13.
Urbana got on the board first with a run in the second inning. With the wind blowing in towards home plate, even a single run was a daunting task.
Findlay did not plate their run until the seventh inning of action, although they had left five runners on base prior to the inning. In the seventh, junior Cameron Johnson led off with a single to left and was followed by a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from junior Troy Merriman. Johnson then moved over to third on a balk and, after a strikeout and a walk, scored on a single by sophomore Derrick Herd, who would finish the game with three hits for the second consecutive game.
Over the next two innings, both teams would combine to leave seven runners on base and, without a run scored, the game would go to extra innings.
In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Oilers were in position to pick up their fifth walk off win of the season when they loaded the bases with just one out. However, a pair of pop ups ended the inning with no damage done.
Urbana took the lead in the 12th after the leadoff batter reached on an error and the next batter, Brent West, hit a triple to left center field. Findlay got a pair of singles in the 12th but could not push a run across.
Junior Alexander Theiss got the start on the hill and pitched well for his team going 7 and two-thirds and allowing just a single run on nine hits. He struck out five batters and did not commit a walk in the no-decision.
The loss was credited to senior AJ Cecil who falls to 5-1 on the year. He threw two innings and allowed one run, none earned, on two hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Derrick Herd picked up three hits in six at-bats for the Oilers. Herd now has ten hits in his previous four games. He had the lone RBI of the day. Cameron Johnson had a pair of hits and a run scored in the loss.
Findlay finished with one run on ten hits. They made two errors and left 14 runners on base. Urbana scored two runs on 14 hits. They made six errors and left 16 runners on base.
The Oilers' next game is a double-header in Detroit, Michigan against GLIAC foe, Wayne State University. Those games will begin at 1:00 pm.