Stechschulte hits three home runs as Baseball gains split with Alma (Mich.) in home opener with 7-6 walk-off victory in nightcap

ADA — Senior Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) launched three home runs as the Ohio Northern baseball team split its home opening double header with Alma (Mich.) on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Northern won the nightcap 7-6 in walk-off fashion after dropping the opener 14-8.

The Basics

• Records: Ohio Northern (11-5 Overall), Alma (Mich.) (10-6-1 Overall).
• Venue: Wander Field - Ada, Ohio.

Game One - L, 8-14

• Alma struck first with a 3-run rally in the top of the second. 
• Stechschulte launched a 2-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to make it 3-2. 
• The Scots scored 5 runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth to grow their lead to 10-2.
• Senior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) launched a home run over the right field fence in the sixth to make it 10-3.
• Stechschulte hit an RBI single in the sixth to make it 10-4. 
• Alma added three more runs to push its lead to 13-4 going into the bottom of the eighth.
• Junior Kyle Callahan (Brunswick) and sophomore Charlie Oakleaf (New Albany) each registered RBIs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 14-6.
• Stechschulte hit his second 2-run blast of the day in the bottom of the ninth to bring the game to 14-8.

Game Two - W, 7-6

• Junior Evan Russ (Westfield, Ind.) drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk to wrap up a 2-run ninth and give the Polar Bears a walk-off 7-6 victory.
• AC took a 6-5 lead in the top of the inning with three runs.
• In the bottom of the ninth, freshman Carson Stevens (Wyoming) hit an RBI double to tie the game. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Russ drew another walk to score the game winner.
• Stechschulte hit his third home run of the day in the bottom of the second to give ONU an early 1-0 lead.
• Armstrong hit an RBI single and Stechschulte hit a sacrifice fly to build a 3-0 lead in the fourth.
• In the top of the eighth Alma tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI double.
• Stechschulte hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eigth to give the Polar Bears the lead and freshman Tyler Rinehart (Boonville, Ind.) added another with an RBI single to make it 5-3.
• Sophomore Aslyn Farinelli (Crown Point, Ind.) pitched 6.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on the day for the Polar Bears. 
• Sophomore Benjamin Best (Findlay) picked up the win in relief for Ohio Northern.

Notables

• Stechschulte led the Polar Bears offensively, going 6-7 at the plate with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs. 
• Alma leads the all time series 9-5 after today's games.
• Lapp leads the team this season with a .452 batting average, 17 RBIs, and 10 extra base hits.
• Armstrong is tied for 2nd all-time in ONU history in home runs (27) needing only 2 more to be in sole possesion of 1st, 3rd in RBIs (124) and walks (90), and is fifth in doubles (38). 
• Stechschulte (138), Armstrong (134), senior Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity) (133) and Lapp (123) are all members of ONU's 100-Hit Club. 
• Ohio Northern is in its 121st season of baseball. The Polar Bears are 1505-1174-20 all-time, a winning percentage of .562.
• 15th-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is now 317-225 at Ohio Northern for a winning percentage of .587.

Up Next

• The Polar Bears will return to action to face off with Alma (Mich.) again on Sunday at 1 pm in the rubber game of the three-game series.