TIFFIN, Ohio – Senior pitcher Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) threw six solid innings on the mound, but a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth was the difference as the Case Western Reserve University baseball team lost the third and final game of a weekend series at regional-rival and No. 14 nationally-ranked Heidelberg University by a score of 5-4 on Sunday at Peaceful Valley.
The Spartans (9-5), who swept the Student Princes by scores of 4-1 and 5-2 yesterday, saw their streak of not allowing more than three runs in a game end at nine.
"The Berg" scored three runs in the final inning to snap a three-game losing skid and improve to 11-6 for the season.
The Student Princes grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a Steve Morse RBI single and a Trevor Oldham RBI groundout. Not phased, the Spartans came right back to tie the score in the fifth as sophomore infielder William Meador (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) roped an RBI double down the right field line then came around to score two batters later after a single by senior shortstop Matt Keen (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge).
An inning later, the Spartans plated the go-ahead run as senior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) led off with a walk, moved to second on an error, reached third via a fielder's choice, and scored on a groundball double play.
The Spartans then added what looked to be an insurance score in the ninth when sophomore leftfielder Kerrigan Cain (Hartville, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) walked and scored via an error on a botched pick-off attempt.
However, in the bottom of the ninth, Heidelberg's Arneal Squibb reached base on a pinch-hit, one-out single to start the game-winning rally. Two errors and a walk followed before Doug Miller hit a two-run, pinch-hit double to left center to tie the game. A grounder off the bat of Ben Blystone then drove home the winning score off of junior reliever Josh Suvak (Independence, Ohio/Independence).
Hora turned in what was easily his best outing of the season with six innings of two-run ball. On 78 pitches, the "southpaw" allowed just three hits and struck out five without a walk in a no decision. Suvak (1-1) logged the final 2.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on two hits and a walk.
For the game, Meador and junior second baseman Andrew Frey (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) were each 2-for-4, while Keen was 2-for-4 with a walk.
Heidelberg reliever Kyle Fluharty improved to 1-0 for the season with an inning of work on the mound. Eric Monroe was 2-for-4 to pace the Student Princes at the plate.