By: Jay Garneau
ADA – Behind timely hitting and strong relief pitching, the Ohio Northern baseball team defeated Denison 7-6 in a non-conference matchup at Wander Field on Thursday evening.
With their third straight victory, the Polar Bears improve to 11-18 overall, while Denison falls to 10-23-1.
In the April 10 meeting between these two teams, the Big Red came away with a home victory, 11-6.
"In the first game with Denison, we weren't able to rebound from our mistakes, but today the team kept it together and came back," head coach Gene Stechschulte said. "It's nice to string together some wins, and hopefully we'll keep the momentum going into the weekend."
Junior Devin Kisor finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including a game-tying RBI triple, and two runs scored, including the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
Sophomore Logan Schwerer (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, throwing 3.1 innings in relief, allowing just one run, while senior Aaron Johnson retired the last two batters of the game to record his first career save.
Senior Josh Murphy added a 3-for-3 effort, tallying an RBI and run scored.
Denison jumped out to a 4-0 lead, scoring a run in the third and three in the fourth, two of those unearned.
The Polar Bears tied the game the next half-inning, as Murphy and Kisor each had an RBi single before sophomore Brian Thomas hit a two-run single to center field, making the score 4-4.
A Lowell Hall sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth gave the lead back to Denison, 5-4.
After Murphy singled to lead off the sixth for ONU, Kisor tripled to the wall in right center to score pinch runner Chad Coward, tying the game at 5-5.
Senior Mark Hayes then hit an RBI single that took a bad hop and got past the shortstop to score Kisor and give ONU its first lead of the game, 6-5.
ONU added an insurance run in the seventh, when senior Eric Yunker singled, stole second, and scored on an RBI single from junior Cory Martin.
That insurance run proved to be the difference, as Denison scored one run in the top of the ninth.
With the bases loaded and one out, Johnson came into the game and forced a sacrifice fly and a strikeout to maintain ONU's lead and close out the win.
Drew Rice (3-for-4, double, two runs scored) and Lowell Hall (2-for-3, two RBIs, walk, run scored) led the Big Red offensively.
Freshman Brett Wonders started for ONU and earned a no decision, allowing three hits and four runs (two earned) over 3.0 innings, while Denison starter Kyle Colgain allowed four unearned runs in 4.0 innings, also receiving a no decision.
Kevin Bratcher (0-3) took the loss, tossing 2.0 innings and allowing two runs in relief for Denison.
Denison defeated ONU earlier in the season by an 11-6 score.
The Polar Bears return to Ohio Athletic Conference play, traveling to Baldwin-Wallace for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.