Oilers Wrap Up Opening Weekend Against Notre Dame / Ohio Dominican
Mason, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team wrapped up its first weekend series of the year with a pair of non-conference games at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. The Oilers dropped their morning contest against Notre Dame College by a score of 2-1 and later dropped the afternoon contest by a score of 14-2. With the losses, Findlay falls to 0-3 on the season.
In a game that started at 10:30 am, the Oilers were locked in a pitchers dual against the Notre Dame Falcons.
Findlay was getting runners on base throughout the game, leaving one runner on per inning for the first six innings before finally breaking through in the seventh.
Trailing 2-0, a hit-by-pitch and a walk put a pair of runners on base. ODU made a pitching change and the first batter, senior Tyler Burley, roped a double to center field, scoring a run. Another walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore Nolan O'Connell grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Still down by a run, the Oilers threatened in the eighth, leaving two runners on base, and had another golden opportunity in the ninth as the first two batters of the inning reached on free passes. A botched sacrifice bunt was popped up and caught for the first out. The next batter grounded out and, after a walk loaded the bases with two outs, another foul out to the catcher ended the game with the bases loaded.
In the game, Findlay finished with one run on six hits, made one error, and left 14 runners on base.
Junior Ryan Mohr was the tough-luck loser on the hill as he tossed a complete game. In those nine innings, Mohr allowed just two runs, one earned, on five hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven.
Burley had two hits including a double, and the lone RBI of the game. Senior Tyler Archambeau also had a pair of hits in the game while senior Ethan St. Clair reached base four times, all by walk.
Game 2 (14-2 L vs Ohio Dominican)
In the afternoon game, Ohio Dominican took an early lead, scoring a run in the top of the first, but a leadoff triple by St. Clair in the bottom of the first turned into a game tying run early in the game.
The team's traded zeros over the next three innings before the Panthers blew the game open. ODU scored four runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to take a 10-1 lead. Three more in the top of the eighth gave ODU a 13-1 advantage.
Findlay did score a single run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Panthers answered that solo score with a single run in the top of the ninth to make the score 14-2.
The Oilers scored their two runs on seven hits and made three errors and left seven runners on base while the Panthers scored 14 runs on 12 hits, made just one error, and left 13 runners on base.
Sophomore Chase Hopewell took the loss in his first start of the year, the second start of his career. Hopewell threw five innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits. He walked three and struck out nine.
Sophomore Cole Kwiatkowski had a pair of hits for Findlay while St. Clair, junior Brandon Emery, Burley, O'Connell, and senior Jordan Williams all had one hit.
The Oilers will be back on the diamond next Friday, March 5 when they travel to Charleston, WV for two games against Ohio Valley and two against the University of Charleston.