Oilers Split Program's First G-MAC Double-Header
Findlay, Ohio – Playing in the school's first ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) double-header, the University of Findlay baseball team picked up a split against the Alderson Broaddus Battlers. The Oilers took the loss in the opener and earned a tightly contested win in the night cap to bring their record to 8-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in league play. The Battlers now have a record of 3-12 overall with a 1-3 record in the G-MAC.
Game 1 (L 2-1 / 10 inn. / Box Score / Video Replay)
The Battlers got on the board in the first inning with a single run and rode an outstanding performance by pitcher Zach Salmon, nine innings and just two hits, into extra innings.
Findlay's lone run came in the bottom of the ninth when Derrick Herd, who had both of the Oilers' hits in the contest, scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-1. However, Alderson Broaddus would capitalize on a leadoff single by Taylor Cook. A triple to right center by Tyler Amadure would put the Battlers ahead 2-1 and the Oilers went quietly in the bottom of the inning to drop the one-run contest.
Derrick Herd finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored. He was the only player for Findlay to record a hit in the contest.
Mark Delas started for Findlay and tossed seven innings, allowing one run, none earned, on four hits. He walked two and struck out ten in the no-decision.
Josh Robinson, who entered the game in the ninth inning, took the loss as he allowed one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of action.
Game 2 (W 7-6 / Box Score / Video Replay)
Alderson Broaddus put their foot on the gas to begin the second contest as they exploded out to a 4-0 lead after the first frame. Findlay would get a leadoff hit from Casey Gould in the bottom half of the inning, but he was left stranded.
In the second inning, however, the Oilers would finally capitalize with runners on base. After two quick outs, a walk to Troy Merriman, hit-by-pitch to Josh Schwerer, and walk to Casey Gould would load the bases for the home squad. Freshman Ethan St. Clair delivered with a three-RBI double to the right field fence to cut the Battlers' lead to 4-3. A single by Derrick herd scored St. Clair and tied the game at four.
Findlay picked up single runs in the third and fourth innings to extend their lead to 6-4, but runs in the fifth and sixth by ABU tied the game again at six.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Oilers had runners on second and third with two outs when Battlers' pitcher Shane Mallon balked, allowing Nic Varda to score the go-ahead run.
Josh Robinson came in to pitch a perfect one-two-three seventh inning, earning his league-leading fifth save, and securing the first-ever G-MAC win for the Oilers' baseball program.
St. Clair ended the game with three hits in four at-bats. He scored two runs and had three RBI while Derrick Herd had a pair of RBI and one hit. Gould and Merriman, who also walked twice, each picked up hits in the game as well. Gould had two runs scored while Merriman had a run scored and an RBI.
Findlay will be back on the diamond tomorrow, March 19, when they make up their snowed-out double-header against Davis & Elkins. Those games are scheduled to begin at 12:00 pm and can be seen on the Great Midwest Digital Network in 'Live Events'.