Baseball gets first conference win of season with 6-3 victory at Capital

Baseball gets first conference win of season with 6-3 victory at Capital
Box Score
April 3, 2012

By: Jay Garneau

BEXLEY – The Ohio Northern baseball team defeated Capital 6-3 to pick up its first Ohio Athletic Conference win at Clowson Field on Tuesday evening.

Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, the two squads were only able to play one nine-inning game due to a rain delay and darkness.

Ohio Northern improves to 7-12 overall and 1-2 in the OAC, while Capital falls to 12-9 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Junior Devin Kisor and sophomore Brian Thomas each went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, while freshman Dan Belliveau went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBIs.

The Crusaders plated a run in each of the first two innings before ONU tied it at 2-2 in the third.

After Kisor and Thomas each singled and were sacrificed into scoring position, Belliveau had an RBI groundout and senior Eric Yunker singled up the middle to even the score.

ONU took the lead in the fifth, again on a rally started by back-to-back singles from Kisor and Thomas.

Belliveau hit an RBI double to score Kisor, and Thomas then scored on a wild pitch. Yunker picked up his second RBI of the day as a groundout scored Belliveau, giving ONU a 5-2 advantage.

Northern tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, when senior Josh Murphy walked with two outs in the inning.

Pinch runner Chad Coward stole second, advanced to third on a Belliveau single, and then scored on a wild pitch, pushing ONU's lead to 6-2.

Capital scored once in the bottom of the ninth, but senior Cody Fisher retired the potential tying run to pick up his first save of the season.

Sophomore Andrew Tople improved to 2-0, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win, while Garrett Griffin took the loss for Capital to fall to 1-2.

Senior Justin Good started the game for ONU, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out three batters over 4.0 innings.

Patrick Jackson, Brandon Natale and Dean Langholz each had two hits for Capital.

ONU will continue OAC play on Friday afternoon, traveling to Otterbein for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.