Tiffin, Ohio – April 6, 2011 – The nationally ranked Heidelberg University baseball team posted two wins over Mideast Region foe Denison University at Peaceful Valley. Heidelberg won game one 10-3 and returned to register a 5-3 victory in the nightcap. The two wins improved the Berg to 18-4 overall, while the Big Red falls to 13-14.
Denison and Heidelberg were scheduled this season for a home and away series and things started out that way a week ago. On March 30, the Berg traveled to Denison and the two teams played a half inning before the game was suspended due to snow. The game was continued this afternoon with Denison as the home team and trailing 1-0.
Heidelberg originally started game one with three hits in its first at bat. Back-to-back doubles eventually set the stage for a RBI single to left field by Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic).
After a week off Denison came back to take the lead courtesy of two 'Berg miscues in the third inning. Two fielding errors put two runners on the base paths that came around to put the Big Red up 2-1.
Heidelberg came back and took control of the game in its next at bat with four runs off of four hits. Brechun and Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) led the inning off with hits and Arneal Squibb (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka) loaded the bases for the Berg. Derek Andrzejczak (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) sent the tying run across home plate with a bases loaded walk. Two batters later Jordan Martin (Powell, Ohio / Olentangy Liberty) and Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start) had back-to-back RBI singles. And the scoring closed in the inning when Andrzejczak got home plate from a balk.
A leadoff walk and a wild pitch put Brechun in scoring position for Squibb in the fifth. Squibb connected for his first collegiate RBI to center field to put the Berg on top, 6-2.
Andrzejczak extended Heidelberg's advantage to seven when he sent a 2-0 pitch off the trees in left field for a three-run home run. Andrew Buelow (Marysville, Mich. / Marysville) followed with a triple to right center and wound up scoring on a wild pitch to make it a four-run inning for the Berg.
Denison closed out the scoring for the game with a RBI double to left field in the eighth.
At the plate Heidelberg finished with 15 hits. Leading the way at 3-for-4 was Brechun. He also scored three times and knocked in a run. Lizcano backed Brechun with three hits and a RBI. Also finishing with multiple hits was Alex Monroe (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston), Squibb and Andrzejczak. Andrzejczak knocked in a team-best four runs and walked twice.
On the mound, Zach O'Driscoll (Hudson, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) resumed the contest and went 6.0 innings to post his second win on the year. He gave up eight hits and no earned runs. Along the way he struck out a career-best seven batters.
In the night cap, Denison held a 2-1 advantage through four innings, but the Berg came to life defensively in the top of the fifth. After a called off double play was followed with a true double play, starter Elvin Williams Jr. (Euclid, Ohio / Euclid) struck out the next batter to end a Big Red threat and swing the game's momentum to the host team.
Heidelberg came back in the bottom half of the fifth with four runs off of four hits. The first three batters of the inning replaced each other on the base paths. Lizcano opened with a double followed by a Monroe RBI double and a Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) RBI single. Two batters later Lash knocked in Keen and Brechun followed with a walk. Brechun eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Berg on top 5-2.
The final run of the day came across in the ninth inning for Denison, but Heidelberg closer Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) did not falter and helped preserve a win for Williams. It was Lowe's sixth save on the year.
Lizcano and Monroe led the way at the plate with two hits apiece. Also recording one of Heidelberg's nine hits was Keen, Brechun, Lash, Andrzejczak and Buelow. Scoring twice in the win was Monroe.
Williams got his first start on the year and went five innings. He gave up five hits and no earned runs. Williams struck out two en route to his first win in 2011.