Armstrong ties for first in career home runs as baseball falls 11-5 to Alma (Mich.) in rubber game of their 3-game series
March 22, 2026
ADA — Senior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) blasted his 28th career home run to tie for first in program history as the baseball team fell to Alma (Mich.) 11-5 to wrap up a 3-game series on a warm and windy Sunday afternoon.
The Basics
- Records: Ohio Northern (11-6 Overall), Alma (Mich.) (11-6-1 Overall).
- Venue: Wander Field - Ada, Ohio.
The Game
- Armstrong blasted a 3-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to mark his 28th career home run to tie him for first all-time in program history.
- Freshman Drew Tolfree (East Lansing, Mich./Lansing Catholic) had a solid start, striking out 9 and allowing just four hits and no earned runs
- Alma scored 8 runs in the ninth, including hiting back-to-back home runs, to take an 11-5 lead.
- Alma struck first with a 3-run rally in the top of the third.
- Senior Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) hit his 8th RBI of the weekend series to make it 3-1.
- Freshman Carson Stevens (Wyoming) cut the lead to 3-2 with an RBI single in the fifth.
- Armstrong then blasted his home run to cap the 4-run inning and give ONU a 5-3 lead.
- Armstrong led the offense going 2-4 at the plate with a 3-run home run.
- AC out hit ONU 12-6.
Notables
- Alma leads the all time series 10-6 after today's games.
- Lapp leads the team this season with a .396 batting average, 18 RBIs, and 11 extra base hits.
- Armstrong is now tied with Billy Porterfield, who hit 28 home runs from 1992-95. He is also tied for second in walks (89), is 3rd in RBIs (128), is fifth in doubles (38) and is 8th in runs scored (123)
- Stechschulte (139), Armstrong (136), senior Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity) (133) and Lapp (124) are all members of ONU's 100-Hit Club.
- Stechschulte is also tied for 8th in ONU history with 34 career doubles.
- Ohio Northern is in its 121st season of baseball. The Polar Bears are 1506-1175-20 all-time, a winning percentage of .561.
- 15th-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is now 318-226 at Ohio Northern for a winning percentage of .585.
Up Next
- The Polar Bears will be back at home again on Tuesday to take on Trine (Ind.) at 3 pm.
