Senior Joe Tootle throws shutout as Baseball splits double header with #25 Mount Union

ADA — Senior Joe Tootle (Powell/Olentangy Libery) threw a shutout to lead the Ohio Northern baseball team to a double header split with #25 Mount Union on Saturday afternoon. ONU won the opener 1-0 and dropped the nightcap 6-2.

The Basics

• Records: Ohio Northern (24-10 Overall, 11-3 OAC), #25 Mount Union (24-8 Overall, 14-2 OAC).
• Venue: Wander Field - Ada, Ohio.

Game One: W, 1-0

• In a pitching duel, both teams were held scoreless through 6 innings behind phenomenal defensive plays on both sides.
• This defensive performance included the Polar Bears turning multiple double plays, including the game ending double play to secure the win with the tying run at first. 
• ONU broke through in the bottom of the 7th as junior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) drew a bases-loaded, two out walk to score freshman Aslyn Farinelli and break the 0-0 tie.
• Tootle pitched 9.0 innings without relenting a single run, as well as netting 6 strikeouts to earn the win for the Polar Bears as he moves to 6-0 on the season.

Game Two: L, 2-6

• Purple Raiders jumped out to an early lead in the second game behind a 3-run second inning. 
• MU added to its lead the next inning and made it 4-0.
• Northern responded with a run of its own in the 4th when sophomore Kyler Lapp (Hall, Ill./Hall) scored.
• ONU continued to chip away in the bottom of the 5th thanks to a 2-out RBI single by Armstrong.
• Mount Union pushed the lead back to 5-2 with a run in the 6th.
• Mount threatened again in the 8th and after the Raiders had a runner heading home, but sophomore Evan Russ (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) threw him out from right field to maintain the score at 5-2. 
• In the bottom of the 8th, Northern had the tying run at the plate and runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out, but couldn't convert.
• Mount Union pushed the lead to 6-2 in the 9th, and would hang on for the win.

Notables

• Ohio Northern now leads the all-time series with Mount Union by 70-46 margin.
• Through 34 games this season, senior Elliott Veenstra (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) leads the Polar Bears with a .382 batting average, going 34-for-89 with 24 RBI.
• Senior Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity) joined the 100-Hit Club last week and now has 102 hits in 110 career games.
• Senior Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) is 53rd all-time at ONU with 116 hits in 119 career games.
• Junior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) is 54th at ONU with 114 hits in 108 career games. He is also 6th all-time at ONU with 23 career home runs.
• Freshman Jackson Saylor (Springboro) is tied for first in the OAC in wins with 6. 
• Ohio Northern is in its 120th season of baseball. The Polar Bears are 1490-1163-20 all-time, a winning percentage of .557.
• 14th-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is now 302-216 at Ohio Northern for a winning percentage of .583.

Up Next

• The Polar Bears will return to action Sunday with a 2 pm non-conference game at Wittenberg.