Findlay Splits on Opening Day

Auburndale, Fla. – The University of Findlay baseball team kicked off their 2019 campaign on Sunday, March 3 at Chain of Lakes Park in Auburndale, Florida. Participating in the RussMatt College Baseball Invitational, the Oilers took on Northern State University out of Aberdeen, South Dakota in a double-header and split those contests to begin the year with a 1-1 record.

Game 1 (Box Score | W – 6-2)

Findlay wasted no time getting their offense going as the first two hitters of the year, sophomore Ethan St. Clair and senior Derrick Herd, each singled. A pair of strikeouts and a fly ball ended the early threat, but in the second, the Oilers would get their first run of the year. Senior Trevor Anderson singled and came around to score on a double to right center off the bat of junior Jordan Williams.

Northern State tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second.

In the top of the third, Findlay put two runners on via errors and one via that walk. Sophomore Ryan O'Malley then doubled down the left field line to clear the bases and give the Oilers a 4-1 lead.

That lead extended in the top of the sixth when O'Malley, who doubled to center field to lead off the inning, crossed the plate on a groundout by St. Clair. Williams would score on a wild pitch later that inning to give Findlay a 6-2 cushion.

O'Malley led the offense with a pair of doubles and a walk while picking up three RBI and a run scored. Williams also had two hits in the game while scoring a run and driving in one.

Senior Alex Harter was dealing in his first start of his final year with Findlay. The Findlay, Ohio native tossed six innings and allowed just two runs on three hits. He struck out five while walking one.

Freshman Trey Bame got his first collegiate action in the seventh inning and set the Wolves down in order.

Findlay finished with six runs on eight hits and made no errors while the Wolves had two runs on three hits and made three errors.

Game 2 (Box Score | L 10-2)

In the second contest, as the sun set, it was Northern State who was the aggressor as they put up four runs in the first two innings.

The Oilers did not have a base runner until the third inning when Trevor Anderson led off with a single up the middle and did not score until the bottom of the fifth on a two-RBI double off the bat of Ethan St. Clair. That hit made the score 4-2 in favor of NSU.

The Wolves answered that scoring effort with six runs in the top of the sixth which was highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Hayden Houts.

Senior Nic Varda, Trevor Anderson, and sophomore Tyler Archambeau each finished two-for-three while Ethan St. Clair had one hit and the only two RBI of the game.

Junior Tyler Rendlesham took the loss on the hill. He tossed five innings and allowed six runs, four earned, on four hits. He struck out two, walked three, and hit three batters.

NSU finished the game with ten runs on six hits and did not make an error. Findlay scored two runs on eight hits and made two errors.

The Oilers are back in action tomorrow morning with a pair of games against West Virginia Wesleyan.