Oilers Stumble Against Dragons | Rain Postpones Game 2

Findlay, OH – The University of Findlay baseball team battled the rain and the Tiffin University Dragons on Friday, April 28. In the first contest, the Dragons earned the victory and in the second, the rain was the winner as it forced the game to be halted in the top of the seventh. With the Game 1 loss, the Oilers have dropped 14 straight and fall to 17-21 with a 7-18 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.

Game 1 | L (8-3) (Box Score | Video)

Findlay senior Logan Harrah singled with one out in the first and advanced on a double to the left field wall off the bat of sophomore Derrick Herd. Senior Peter Yorgen hit a fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly that gave the home team a 1-0 lead, but left the bases loaded.

Tiffin went quietly in the second and in the bottom of that inning, the Oilers would add on. Sophomore Trevor Anderson led off with a walk and advanced on a single from senior Miguel Valdez. A passed ball allowed them to advance and, after a strikeout, a groundout by Harrah plated a run, giving Findlay a 2-0 lead.

The next half inning was the turning point for the Dragons offense that came into the game hitting over .300 as a team. After two quick outs, a walk and single put two runners on for Devon Fisk who promptly drove the ball over the fence in right-center field to put Tiffin on top 3-2. They would not trail the remainder of the game.

Tiffin added five runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-2 lead before a single run from Findlay in the seventh would conclude the game at 8-3.

Taking the loss on the hill was senior Austin Rodesky. He threw 5.1 innings and allowed six runs on five hits. He walked five and struck out five. With his five strikeouts, Rodesky moved up two spots to second on the all-time strikeout list at Findlay. He now has 210 in his career, just 10 shy of Greg Otto who had 220 strikeouts from 1987-1990.

Harrah had a good game at the plate as he would finish 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Derrick Herd and Miguel Valdez were the only other players with hits.

Game 2 | L 8-6 (Box Score)

Findlay took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second contest. That inning began with a bunt single from Logan Harrah and was followed by a single from freshman Casey Gould. After a groundout, Peter Yorgen drove a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Harrah. Freshman Sam Shelt Palm then drove a ball to center to score Gould.

The Dragons used another big inning to take control of the game, scoring five runs in the third and a single run in the fourth to grab a 6-2 lead.

The Oilers came back with two runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth. However, that sixth inning threat would end with a strikeout and batters interference double play, stranding a runner on base.

With the score at 8-6, the Dragons had a runner reach third base with one out and the rain forced the tarp to be put on the field and the game to be postponed until the series finale.

When the game resumed two days later, junior Josh Robinson came on to pitch for Findlay and got out of the jam without allowing a run.