With all the other conference games out of the way the John Carroll University baseball team knew exactly what it needed to do to clinch a berth in next week's OAC Tournament – get one win. The Blue Streaks responded for that and much more at Schweickert Field on Sunday afternoon to cap the regular season.
 
John Carroll wasted no time punching its ticket to the OAC Tournament taking the first game from visiting Muskingum 14-4 and capping the sweep with a 7-2 win. The Blue Streaks finished the regular season at 21-14, 12-6 OAC. JCU earned the No. 3 seed in the OAC Tournament to be held in Marietta from May 8-10.

The second of the two wins gave head coach Marc Thibeault his 300th program win. Thibeault won the milestone on a day where he was honored as the winningest coach in program history.
 
Program founder Jerry Schweickert was on hand and presented Thibeault with a commemorative baseball for become the baseball program's all-time wins leader back on March 31. After the sweep Thibeault's son Cavan presented him with a commemorative baseball marking win No. 300 as the head coach of JCU. Additionally, with the 14-4 win, Thibeault's charges notched the mentor's ninth 20-win season.
 
"One of the things that made today really special was we were able to clinch our OAC Tournament berth on the same day Coach Schweickert was here," said Thibeault. "He's been a great mentor and great friend. He's been a great leader of this program. He is responsible for all of this. To be able to accomplish all of this today on alumni weekend makes it more special. Our program will always be about our kids, but to have him (Jerry Schweickert) here made it very special."
 
Game One
John Carroll's hitters rolled early with all nine starters recording a hit to send JCU back to the OAC Tournament.
 
The Blue and Gold put the game away early with a 6-run fourth inning. Robby Cifelli laced a 2-run, 1-out double down the right field line. Bobby Sabatino followed suit smoking a 2-run triple down the right field line. The Blue Streaks' aggressive baserunning paid off as Sabatino cruised in to score two pitches later on a Muskingum wild pitch. A Fighting Muskie error pushed the Blue Streaks' lead to 9-3.
 
"I thought we had a great approach at the plate today," said Thibeault. "We had a 2-strike approach going backside. When we got ahead in the count we got some really pitches to hit and were able to do some damage with it. We were aggressive on the basepaths. All around, it was a great day."
 
The offense kept rolling extending its lead with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.
 
Working the lines again David Lykens placed a triple into the right field corner in the seventh to bring around Tyler Gentile. Two batters later JCU would strike again when David Crowley smashed a double and came in to score on a Cifelli single.
 
Muskingum looked to push the pace early striking first in the top of the first inning. John Carroll responded right back with RBI singles by Jimmy Spagna and Gentile. Spagna would make it a 3-1 lead as Spagna scored on a Muskingum error.
 
Aaron Lapaglia improved to 7-3 pitching five innings of relief. The sophomore only allowed two hits. Cifelli and Lykens both finished with three hits.
 
"Our players responded really well," said Thibeault. "We knew it was a situation of one win. They were able to sustain it for 18 innings today. It was great to be able to get that first win. The kids played hard and really well today."
 
Game Two
Already having its spot in the OAC Tournament locked up the Blue Streaks turned their attention to getting win No. 300 for Thibeault.
 
John Carroll jumped on Muskingum starter Alex VanDine right away on Spagna's single through the left side to give JCU a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Blue Streaks would push another run across in the second inning when Crowley came in to score on a fielding error.
 
JCU's middle of the order came through in the bottom of the third inning to break the tie after Muskingum had tied the game at two. Spagna, playing in his final home game, put JCU up for good with a 1-out double. JCU would add two more runs in the third and two runs in the fourth to open up its 7-2 lead.
 
JCU's pitching staff received numerous big plays from its defense. Herringshaw started a trio of can-you-top this plays in the fifth inning making a diving catch in left field. An inning later it was Cifelli's turn to add a diving catch. Later in the sixth, Cifelli quickly cutoff a 1-out hit in time to start the relay to the plate for the second out of the inning.
 
Earlier in the game JCU came out on the right side of a bizzard bunt attempt. Muskingum's Michael Lynn started the third inning off with a bunt and advanced all of the way to third of Brandon Maddern's errant throw. Lynn attempted to score on a second errant throw on the play but Gentile was able to track the ball down in time to fire home to Chet Lauer.
 
Maddern picked up the win to improve to 6-2 on the year. Four Blue Streaks finished with two hits in the second game.
 
John Carroll will square off against Heidelberg at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. More information on the OAC Tournament to be held in Marietta will be available on www.jcusports.com this week.