O'Malley Becomes All-Time Home Run Leader in Split with Walsh
Findlay, OH- The University of Findlay Baseball team played their final two games of a four-game series against the Walsh University Cavaliers on Sunday Apr 24 at the Cube. Prior to the game, the Oilers held a ceremony to celebrate the late coach and player Troy Berry.
The Oilers started things off with a big 4-run first inning. Junior Nate Brooks started things off with an RBI fielder's choice to score junior Aidan Lao. Late in the inning freshmen Jabin Bates would steal home to score the Oilers second run. The final two runs would come across to score off a fielder's choice off the bat of senior Christian Orr that would bring both junior Nolan O'Connell and Brooks to give Findlay an early 4-0 lead.
Walsh would respond with a single run in the top of the 2nd inning, but Findlay would bring across another of their own in the bottom of the inning when junior Cam Farrar scored Lao with a sacrifice fly to left field.
A one out bases loaded double in the top of the 3rd inning would bring 3 runners around to score for Walsh and bring the score to 5-4.
Findlay would have another big inning in the bottom of the 3rd inning scoring two more runs. Bates would drive in Orr with a sacrifice fly to right field. Lao would score later in the inning on a balk by the pitchers to give Findlay a 3-run lead.
The Oilers would turn around and score another 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning. O'Connell would start the scoring off with a solo home run left field. Orr and Lao would both score on wild pitches in the inning. Freshmen Tanner Herrera would score when Bates reached first on a throwing error to give the Oilers an 11-4 lead.
Walsh brought one run across in the top of the 5th inning on a fielder's choice to bring the score to 11-5.
The Oilers would respond with yet another very solid inning. Brooks would reach on an error by the catcher and come around to score on the play, Farrar would also score on the error. Herrera would score O'Connell on a single to left and help from a throwing error. Lao would follow with a double to left center to score both Herrera and Orr. Senior Ryan O'Malley would smack a ball over the left field fence for his 9th homerun of the season scoring both senior Brandon Emery and Lao. This homerun would put O'Malley ahead of 2002 grad Nick Bateson in sole possession of the career homerun record at the University of Findlay with 22. He now holds both the single season and career records. Orr would round out the scoring with an RBI double to score O'Connell and Brooks to give the Oilers a 20-5 lead.
The last time the Oilers scored 20 runs in a game was back on May 3, 2019.
Senior Jordan Bekier would start on the bump for the Oilers. Bekier would pick up his 6th win of the season throwing 6 innings allowing 5 earned runs and striking out 13 Walsh batters.
Walsh started game two off with 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning.
Findlay would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The first came off an RBI single from Bates to score Lao. The second from an RBI single from Farrar to bring Bates to score.
Walsh would respond with 5 runs of their own in the bottom of the 2nd inning on a string of hits and sacrifice flies to give them a 7-2 lead.
Findlay followed up with 2 runs of their own. The first run came off a sacrifice fly from Lao to score Orr. Bates would hit another RBI single to bring home sophomore Andrew Micale to bring the score to 7-4 after two innings.
Senior Ryan Mohr started the game pitching for the Oilers and would throw 1 inning allowing 6 earned runs and striking out one batter. Sophomore Logan Bragg would come in to pitch in relief.
Walsh added three more in the top of the third.
A home run by junior Nolan O'Connell made the score 10-5, but the bottom of the fourth is where Findlay made its' push.
Cam Farrar singled to start the inning and, after back-to-back strikeouts, a throwing error kept the inning alive, scoring Farrar. Andrew Micale then ripped a ball down the left field line, sending another run home. Freshman Austin Adelman then put an exclamation point on the inning, belting a no-doubt home run over the wall in left center, making the score 10-9 in favor of Walsh.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, it was again the longball that proved to be a factor in the game. Cam Farrar hit a no-doubter of his own over the left field wall, tying the game at 10.
The Cavs did not panic and sent single runs across in the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Walsh put their ace, Drew Saunier, on the hill, who weeks ago was thought to be done for the season due to a UCL injury. He did his job, however, throwing the final four innings without allowing a run, securing the save and the win for the Cavaliers.
Jacob Flaherty, who came in relief, took the loss on the mound as he threw 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.
Senior Ryan Mohr was the starter and made it just an inning, allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits.
Cam Farrar went 3-for-4 in the game with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored while Nolan O'Connell went 2-for-4 with a home run, one of two on the day.
Adelman also had two hits including a home run and two RBI.
Findlay will travel to Northwood on Wednesday, April 27 for a midweek, non-league affair before returning to G-MAC action next weekend at Ashland.
