Oilers Earn Series Split with Tiffin
Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team split a doubleheader with the Tiffin Dragons on Sunday, May 2 in Findlay, Ohio. The Oilers won the day's opener by a score of 8-7 but let the nightcap get away, dropping that contest by a score of 24-4. With the results, the Oilers and Dragons split their four game set. Findlay's record moves to 13-22 overall with an 11-17 record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play while Tiffin is now 22-13 and 17-11 in the league.
In the opener, the Dragons took a quick 3-0 lead through an inning-and-a-half, but back-to-back RBI singles in the second by senior Tyler Archambeau and junior Brandon Emery cut the Tiffin lead to 3-2.
The Dragons went hitless over the next two innings and in the bottom of the fourth, the Oilers took control of the game. Senior Casey Gould led off with an infield single and the next batter, Archambeau, went deep to right field for a two-run, opposite field home run that put Findlay on top 4-3. Emery then singled and was followed by a double off the bat of sophomore Cole Kwiatkowski. Tyler Burley singled to left, senior Ethan St. Clair singled to left, and senior Austin Rawlins reached on a fielder's choice to send three more runs across the plate. In the inning, Findlay scored five runs on six hits.
Tiffin did not go away quietly, however, as an error in the fifth allowed one run and a two-run home run and error in the sixth tied the game.
In the bottom of the inning, St. Clair roped a double to left center and advanced on a deep fly out by Rawlins. After a pitching change, sophomore Nate Brooks hit a sacrifice fly to give Findlay a one-run lead.
Oilers' closer, senior Jordan Bekier, came in and picked up the save as he set the Dragons down in order, ending the game. It was the sixth save of the year for Bekier.
Archambeau had two hits, including a home run, and three RBI to lead Findlay's offense while Brandon Emery was a perfect three-for-three with three singles, an RBI, and a run scored.
Senior Casey Gould had two hits and two runs scored while St. Clair and Kwiatkowski each had a pair of hits.
Junior Ryan Mohr got the win as he threw six innings and allowed seven runs, five earned, on eight hits. He walked four and struck out seven.
In the nightcap, the Oilers again trailed 3-0 through the first inning and a half, but in the bottom of the second, RBI hits from Casey Gould and Brandon Emery tied the game at three.
The top of the third was the turning point as the Dragons plated eight runs. The Oilers did get a home run in the third by senior Tyler Burley, but another eight run inning in the eighth by Tiffin helped the visiting team to a 20-run victory in the series finale.
Starting pitcher, sophomore Tyler Trammel, took the loss as he threw 2.1 innings and gave up seven runs, six earned, on two hits. He walked six, hit three batters, and struck out two.
As was the story in the second contest yesterday, free bases haunted Findlay as the Oilers' pitching staff walked 12 batters and hit six in the nine-inning game.
The Oilers head to Hillsdale next weekend, May 7-8 for their final series of the regular season. Currently at ninth in the G-MAC standings, Findlay likely needs to win the series to keep their season alive with a berth in the G-MAC Championship Tournament.