Tiffin, Ohio – April 9, 2011 – At Peaceful Valley the nationally ranked Heidelberg University baseball team registered 31 hits in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep of Wilmington College this afternoon. The Berg posted a 15-3 win in game one and recorded the sweep with an 11-3 victory in game two. The sweep improves Heidelberg to 22-4 overall and 6-0 in the OAC, while the Quakers fall to 7-12, 2-4.
Heidelberg wasted little time getting acquainted with the scoreboard in game one. The Berg hitters nearly batted around twice en route to an 11-run first inning. Overall Heidelberg finished game one with 13 hits and seven came in its first at bat.
Andrew Buelow (Marysville, Mich. / Marysville) had a two-RBI double, while Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) and Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) each knocked in a run apiece both times at the plate in the inning.
Wilmington got on the scoreboard in the top of the third, but Lash got the run back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to left field.
Alex Monroe (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) had a bases clearing triple to the deepest corner of left field in the fourth to close out Heidelberg's scoring on the day. Wilmington added two more runs in the fifth to finish with three for the game.
Lash went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. He shared team-honors with Monroe with three RBI. Also finishing with multiple hits was Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start), Arneal Squibb (Mishawaka, Ind. / Mishawaka), Derek Andrzejczak (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) and Buelow.
On the mound right-handed sophomore Ethan Holt (Galion, Ohio / West Holmes) picked up the win to improve to 5-0 on the year. He threw a one-hitter in 4.0 innings of work and gave up just one earned run. He struck out two in the process.
In game two right-handed senior Brian Koehl (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) got the start and threw a five-hitter, with six strike outs, through 6.2 innings to lead Heidelberg to the win. Koehl now stands at 5-0 on the year and has 26 wins for his career, which is one shy of tying the career record at Heidelberg.
After two scoreless innings on both sides, the Quakers struck first in the third, but Heidelberg answered with a three-run fourth to take control of the game. Squibb had a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Berg on the scoreboard and Andrzejczak followed with a three-run home run to left field. Andrzejczak has become familiar with beyond the left field fence at Peaceful Valley, as he has belted three home runs this season and all have found a home out in left field.
Heidelberg extended its lead to 7-1 in the fifth with four more runs, off of five hits. The Quakers did not go quietly as they plated a run in the seventh and threatened in the eighth. With the bases loaded closer Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) entered the game with the tying run on deck and got a strike out to end the threat and registered his ninth save on the year.
In the bottom of the eighth Heidelberg scored four more runs to finish at 11. Leading the way was a two-RBI single from Lash and a solo shot to left by Lizcano.
The scoring closed with a Quaker run in the top of the ninth.
For the game the 'Berg hitters finished with 18 hits. Lizcano, Keen and Lash all had three apiece. Lash knocked in three runs followed by Squibb and Andrzejczak with two apiece. Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) led the team with three runs scored.