Robinson homers as Baseball splits twin-bill with Gwynedd-Mercy (Pa.)

By Tim Glon

KISSIMMEE -- Drew Robinson blasted his first home run of the season to lead the Ohio Northern baseball team to a 13-9 victory in game one of a double header against Gwynedd-Mercy (Pa.) Tuesday morning at Disney's Wild World of Sports.

The Griffins (3-5) battled back to win the night cap 7-5 Tuesday afternoon.

The Polar Bears are now 2-1 on the season.

In the first game, Mike Hoelzel had a 2-run double in the top of the second inning to give ONU a 2-1 lead.

Robinson then smashed a solo home run, the seventh of his career, to right field to make it 3-1 after three innings.

In the fourth, Drew Gibbons had a two-out single to score Adam Yunker, who had reached on a fielder's choice and promptly stole second, to in crease Northern's advantage to 4-1.

Erik Stegman smacked a one-out double to right center field in the top of the fifth, scoring Robinson, to give Northern a 5-2 advantage. Loren Fleischmanthen followed with a sharp single to left to score Matt Hampshire to make it 6-2.

One out later, Adam Younger blooped a single to left to score Fleischman  to make it 7-2 Polar Bears.

Northern blew the game wide open with a 4-run sixth inning.  Northern got on the board again in the top of the sixth when Brandon Aselage led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Brett Katana, who later scored on a fielding error to make it 9-2.

But the Griffins rallied with a 6-run sixth inning to pull within 11-8 entering the final frame.

Matt Hampshire gave the Polar Bears an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a two-out triple to deep center field to score Eric Yunker to make it 12-8. Hampshire then scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-8.

Brian Hill (1-0) struck out four in 5.1 innings of work to earn the victory for ONU.

In Game 2, GMC got on the board first with a pair of second inning runs, but Gibbons singled home Hoelzel in the bottom of the second to pull Northern within 2-1.

GMC got three runs on a fly ball lost in the sun to go up 5-1 in the third, but ONU battled back with three runs of its own in the fourth.

Hoelzel led off the inning with a bunt single to third, Matt Rader was hit by a pitch and Adam Yunker walked to lead the bases. Gibbons drove in Hoelzel with a RBI gound out to third and Aselage followed with an RBI single to center to scorre Rader. Robinson then his a run-scoring ground out to second base to score Yunker and make it 5-4.

Gwynedd-Mercy scored twice in the top of the sevevth to increase its lead to 7-4.

Northern battled back in the home half of the seventh. Aselage led off with a single and went to second on a walk by Katana. But the rally would stop there as the Griffins held on for the split.

Brett Katana (0-1) took the loss despite striking out five and allowing only five hits in 5.0 innings of work.

The Polar Bears will return to action Wednesday with a single, 9-inning contest against Misericordia (Pa.) at 11:30 am.