TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University baseball team and Ohio Wesleyan University combined for 31 hits and 24 runs, but it was OWU that came out on top, 13-11, today in the home opener for the Berg at Peaceful Valley in Tiffin, Ohio. The Student Princes rallied for three runs in the ninth, but came up short.
Both teams scored in each of the first four innings.
Two extra-base hits to lead off the game for OWU (9-4) and an error led to four runs in the top of the first inning, but the Berg (8-7) came right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Back-to-back run batted-in doubles by senior left handed pitcher Ross Pruitt (Elletsville, Ind./Edgewood) and senior right fielder Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo/Start) and an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Arneal Squibb (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) put the Berg within a run.
Single tallies by both teams in the second inning and another by the Battling Bishops in the third gave OWU a 6-4 lead, but the Student Princes tied the game in the bottom half of the third with a two-run home run by sophomore second baseman Joe Chiarappa (Clinton/St. Vincent-St. Mary's), the first of his career.
OWU loaded the bases in the fourth before back-to-back singles brought around three runs, as the Battling Bishops moved to a 9-6 edge.
Heidelberg plated a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings to close to within 9-8, but OWU tacked on another four runs in the seventh, spiked by a three-run homer by James DiBiasio.
With two runs across the plate in the ninth and two runners on, Squibb, who finished the day 4-for-6, came to the plate representing the winning run, but Bishop closer Andrew Parise coaxed a fly ball to end the game.
In addition to Squibb at the plate, Pruitt was 4-for-6 with a triple, four RBI and a run scored. Lizcano also went 4-for-6 with an RBI and a pair of doubles and runs.
On the mound, Pruitt worked two-plus innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and walked a pair before being relieved by junior righty Teddy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll). Lowe pitched the third and fourth innings and allowed three runs on four hits and struck out two, but was saddled with the loss to fall to 3-2. Freshman righty Dylan Cooper (Macomb, Mich/Stevenson) worked 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Junior righty Tyler Fruhwirth (Beavercreek) also gave up a pair of runs on a pair of hits over 0.2 innings and sophomore right hander Chris Thomas (Canton/Perry) closed the final frame.
Steve Gaydos led OWU at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance to go with two RBI and two runs. Three more Bishops had multi-hit days.
Greg Hock relieved Kevin Schindler on the mound in the third inning, allowed four runs on four hits and struck out three and earned the victory.
The Student Princes next play a three-game split-site series with Case Western Reserve University. The Berg will host the Spartans in a doubleheader Saturday, March 24 before playing a single game in University Circle on Sunday, March 25.