Baseball falls in doubleheader at John Carroll

By Wes Mayberry

CLEVELAND — The Ohio Northern baseball team got a 3-RBI game from junior Jacob Wenning (Coldwater) in Game 1 and an 8-strikeout outing from junior Tim Knapschaefer (Maria Stein/Marion Local) in Game 2 but dropped both games of Sunday's doubleheader against John Carroll at Talty Field by scores of 8-6 and 4-1.

The Polar Bears fall to 11-13 overall and 2-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Blue Streaks improve to 11-10, 5-1.

Sunday's games were moved from JCU's Schweickert Field due to unplayable field conditions, and Game 1 needed 10 innings to decide a winner.

The Polar Bears opened play by jumping out to a 6-0 lead with three runs in each of the first and third innings.

In the top of the first, junior Nate Webb (Bath, Ind./Union County) hit a two-out double to score freshman Sam Sells (Columbus/Olentangy Orange), and Wenning followed with a two-run homer.

Wenning notched his third RBI with a third-inning double that came after an RBI single from senior Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian) and a double from Webb.

Freshman Ethan Spears (Oregon/Clay) put ONU up 6-0 with a two-out single that scored Wenning from third.

The Blue Streaks responded with four runs in the bottom of the third inning and added a run in each of the sixth and seventh frames to tie the score.

The game eventually went to a 10th inning, and JCU's Joe Olsavsky hit a 2-RBI ground-rule double to secure the win for the Blue Streaks, who finished with a 14-11 edge in hits.

Senior Tom Pitko (Youngstown/Austintown-Fitch) got the pitching start for ONU in the game and allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings.

Northern started Knapschaefer on the mound in Game 2, and the junior notched a career-high eight strikeouts over six innings during which he allowed three earned runs on six hits and one walk.

But he was outdueled by JCU's Matthew Aukerman, who pitched 5.2 shutout innings, giving up six hits and three walks while striking out nine.

Wenning continued swinging a hot bat in Game 2, going 4-for-5 with an RBI in the nightcap, giving him a .600 average and four RBIs on the day.

Wenning's effort helped ONU out-hit JCU 10-9 in the second game, but the Polar Bears were unable to get on the scoreboard until the seventh inning.

The Blue Streaks scored a run in each of the first and third frames and added two more in the bottom of the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

Northern scored its lone run of the game on a two-out single from Wenning in the seventh.

The Polar Bears return to action on Tuesday when they host OAC foe Otterbein for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.