Oilers Sweep D&E on Blustery Day
Findlay, Ohio – Facing 30 mph straight-line winds, the University of Findlay baseball team earned its first Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) double-header sweep of the season, winning both games on Monday, March 19 against Davis & Elkins. With the wins the Oilers improve to 10-4 overall with a 3-1 mark in league play while the Senators fall to 4-17 overall and 0-4 in the G-MAC.
Game 1 (W 12-3 | Box Score)
Davis & Elkins took an early lead as they scored a single run in the top of the first inning of play, but it was the only lead the Senators would have all day. Findlay plated three runs in the third inning when, after a walk and a bunt to leadoff the inning, Nic Varda laced a double to left center field to score Findlay's first run. A walk loaded the bases and two passed balls allowed the Oilers to take a 3-1 lead through three innings of play.
Two more runs in the fifth gave the Orange and Black a 5-3 lead through six innings of play. The game was blown open in the seventh as Findlay would send 13 batters to the plate. The Oilers plated seven runs in the inning on just one hit. They were beneficiaries of three Senators' errors in the inning and also drew five walks to help take a 12-3 lead.
D&E got a couple of singles in the final two innings but it was not enough as Findlay ran away with the first game of the double-header.
Junior Tyler Kennedy earned the win on the mound as he threw six innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out five. Kennedy gave way to the bullpen duo of senior Reid Renollet and junior Tyler Rendlesham who combined for three innings work and just a pair of hits allowed.
Juinor Nic Varda finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of walks to help pace the Findlay offense. He scored three runs and had two RBI.
Game 2 (W 5-1 | Box Score)
Back-to-back singles led off the bottom half of the first inning for Findlay. After a sacrifice bunt, Nic Varda picked up a pair of RBI with a single to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead.
Findlay added two runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth to build a four-run cushion. That was all starter Alex Harter would need as he breezed through the Senators' lineup to earn the first complete game of his career. Harter tossed seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out four and did so while throwing just 100 pitches.
Freshman Ethan St. Clair, who scored two runs in the contest, and Tyler Burley and senior Cameron Johsnon all had two hits in the game.
The Oilers are scheduled to be back in action on Wednesday, Mar. 21 when they play host to Tiffin University. That game will begin at 3:00 pm.