Armstrong ties for first in career home runs as baseball falls 11-5 to Alma (Mich.) in rubber game of their 3-game series

Armstrong ties for first in career home runs as baseball falls 11-5 to Alma (Mich.) in rubber game of their 3-game series
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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.