Findlay Drops a Pair of One Run Games to Lake Erie
Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team welcomed Lake Erie College to Findlay on Monday, April 22 to begin a doubleheader that was postponed from this past weekend due to rain. Despite having four-run leads at one point in each of the contests, the Oilers dropped both games by one run apiece to fall to 11-22 on the year and 5-15 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. The Storm, currently in the coveted eighth spot in the league standings, improved to 18-20 on the year and 11-11 in the conference.
Game 1 Box Score (L 8-7)
Looking to move up in the conference standings and hoping for a postseason tournament bid, the Oilers were the aggressors early on in the contest. After two scoreless innings, Findlay sent eight batters to the plate in the third and scored four runs on three hits. The inning began when sophomore Ryan O'Malley was hit by a pitch and that was followed by a single by junior Casey Gould and a walk to freshman Alex Foulks that loaded the bases. Senior Derrick Herd stepped up and delivered with a double down the right field line to send all three runners across home, giving the Oilers a 3-0 lead. After a fly-out advanced Herd to third, sophomore Tyler Burley singled to left to score Herd.
Leading 4-1 in the fifth, the Oilers added another run when senior Nic Varda, who reached on a leadoff double, came around to score on a fielding error by the Storm's shortstop.
Lake Erie answered in a big way in the top of the sixth innings as they used four hits to score five runs to take a 6-5 lead.
Findlay would retake the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of unearned runs thanks to two Storm errors, giving the home team a 7-6 lead.
The score remained 7-6 until the top of the ninth. Findlay closer, freshman Trey Bame entered the game and allowed a single and a walk to begin the frame. Lake Erie botched a sacrifice bunt opportunity, bunting the ball hard back to Bame who fired to third to get the lead out. However, a pair of wild pitches scored the tying run and a single put the Storm ahead.
The Oilers got a walk to Nic Varda and a single by junior Austin Rawlins but no more as Lake Erie would escape with the series-opening win.
Varda finished the game with two hits including a double, a run scored, and an RBI while Derrick Herd recorded a double in four at-bats. He had three RBI and a run scored. Alex Foulks had a single, two walks, and a run scored.
Senior Alex Harter got the start and tossed 5.2 innings in the game. He allowed five runs, all earned, on five hits. He walked four and struck out seven.
Bame took the blown save on the hill as he threw one inning, the ninth, and gave up two Storm runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
Game 2 Box Score (L 5-4)
The nightcap began much like the first game did, with the Oilers taking a 4-0 lead in the third inning.
To get there, Findlay got a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first off the bat of Nic Varda, scored one run on an RBI single in the second off the bat of Jordan Williams, and scored two more in the third with an RBI single by Varda who later scored on a wild pitch.
After a scoreless fourth, the Storm rallied for their second five-run inning of the day in the top of the fifth. The big blow of the inning was a two-out grand slam off the bat of Nigel Williams that put Lake Erie ahead 5-4.
Both teams combined for just one hit in the final two innings as the Storm would go on to steal a second victory.
Findlay's Trevor Anderson had two hits in the game while Varda had a hit, a run scored, and two RBI.
Tyler Rendlesham took the loss on the hill to fall to 1-3 this year. He tossed five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out four.
The Oilers will wrap up their series with the Storm tomorrow, April 23, with a doubleheader beginning at noon.