Win Streak Snapped at Ohio Valley | Oilers Split with Scots
Vienna, West Virginia – The University of Findlay baseball team saw their seven-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Ohio Valley University on Saturday, March 31 in Vienna, West Virginia. The Oilers split their double-header with the fighting Scots and bring their record to 15-5 overall with an 8-2 record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play while the Scots, who picked up their first league game of the year, are now 10-17 and 1-9 in the conference.
Game 1 (L 10-5 | Box Score)
Findlay looked to be in great shape in the first half-inning of play as they game began with a double down the leftfield line off the bat of freshman Ethan St. Clair. Sophomore Casey Gould then singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. After a groundout, a single by junior Nic Varda plated a pair of runs and gave Findlay a 2-0 lead.
OVU answered with a single run in the bottom of the inning and in the fourth, pushed across three more to take the lead.
A pair of extra base hits in the fifth inning led to two runs as the Oilers tied the game at 4-4, but the Fighting Scots took command in the bottom of the sixth as six hits, including a two-run home run, led to six runs and a 10-4 lead for the home team.
Findlay got another run in the seventh, but went hitless in the final two innings as they fell 10-5.
The Orange and Black ended with five runs on 11 hits and no errors while the Scots had ten runs on 14 hits and one error.
Junior Derrick Herd finished the game with three hits in five at-bats and had one RBI while Ethan St. Clair, Casey Gould, and Troy Merriman each had a pair of hits. St. Clair and Merriman each scored a pair of runs and St. Clair also had an RBi to his credit.
Senior Colin Gossard took his first loss of the year and is now 3-1 on the season. He tossed 5.1 innings and allowed six runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out six. Freshman Jordan Bekier came in relief and did not record an out while allowing four earned runs. Senior Eric Schrand tossed the final 2.2 innings and allowed no runs on just one hit.
Game 2 (W 7-2 | Box Score)
With the win streak snapped, the Oilers did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard. The Oilers sent ten hitters to the plate and plated four runs to take a 4-0 lead out of the gate. Nic Varda had the big hit of the inning, a two-RBI single to left center that plated freshman Tyler Burley and sophomore Casey Gould.
The game became a pitchers-dual for the next five innings until the Scots finally got on the board in the sixth with two runs to cut the Oilers lead to 4-2.
The Oilers answered with three runs on two hits, a walk, and two batters hit-by-pitch to take a 7-2 lead into the bottom half of the seventh.
Josh Robinson, the conference's leader in saves, came in to pitch in the non-save situation and struck out two of the four batters he faced to end the contest.
Ethan St. Clair ahd three hits, a run, and an RBI to pace the Oilers offense while Nic Varda had a pair of hits, two RBi, and two runs scored.
Alex Harter, the reigning G-MAC North Pitcher of the Week, picked up his third victory of the season as he tossed six innings and allowed just two runs, none earned, on four hits. He worked his way around five walks and struck out four.
The Oilers will be back on the field on Monday, April 2 as they take on Cedarville on the road in a double-header at 1:00 pm.