Findlay Splits | Wynk Earns First Win
Clermont, Fla. - The University of Findlay baseball team picked up another split on the second day of their trip to Florida, defeating Tiffin University in the opener by a score of 11-1 and later, losing to Gannon 9-6 in extra innings. The split gives Findlay a 4-3 record overall.
Game 1
Senior Aidan Lao led off the day with a double to left center and, after a strikeout, a walk to senior Cam Farrar and hit-by-pitch to freshman Casey Maruniak loaded the bases. Sophomore Austin Adelman drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
Tiffin would tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning, but in the top of the third, Findlay went ahead on a solo blast over the wall in left by Farrar. The Oilers would retain the lead for the remainder of the contest, scoring 10 unanswered runs over the last four innings, ending the game with a mercy rule in the seventh.
Lao finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, and two walks while freshman Keelan Daniel also had two hits, a double, and two RBI.
Farrar was an on-base machine, walking three times while going 1-for-1, the third inning home run, and scoring two runs.
Junior Andrew Micale and senior Cole Kwiatkowski each had doubles in the game.
With all the runs being scored by the Oilers' offense, it was freshman Blaine Wynk who stole the show as he tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits. He walked only one and struck out eight to earn his first collegiate victory.
Game 2
After splitting with Gannon yesterday, the Oilers and Knights battled for the third time this week. Findlay drew first blood when Lao, who led off the bottom of the first with a walk, scored on a throwing error by Gannon's pitcher.
The Knights then took control of the contest, scoring five runs through five innings, holding a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Adelman walked with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Senior Derek Fay was then hit by a pitch and, with two outs, senior Christian Orr pulled a double down the left field line, scoring Adelman. Following a pitching change, senior Nate Brooks, who reached on a fielders' choice, scored on a fielders' choice off the bat of Micale. That run made the score 5-3.
Trailed 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Far was again hit by a pitch and, following a single by Brooks, Far would score on a wild pitch to make it 6-4.
The bottom of the ninth came with the Oilers trailing by two at 6-4. Kwiatkowski and Lao both walked with one out and, after a fielders' choice, Cam Farrar roped a two-out single to left center, tying the game at 6-6.
In extra innings, however, the key hit came from Gannon, a two-run home run to right. Another run made it 9-6 and Findlay went down 1-2-3 in the bottom to end the game.
Nate Brooks led the way with a pair of hits and a run scored while Farrar had one hit and two RBI. Lao reached base three times with a hit and two walks.
The Oilers are off tomorrow but will be back on the diamond on Wednessday, March 1 with a game against Rollins College.