By: Jay Garneau
ADA – The Ohio Northern baseball team dropped a pair of games to Ohio Athletic Conference foe Heidelberg by scores of 3-0 and 7-4 at Wander Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Heidelberg improves to 16-11 (5-3 OAC) with the victories, while the Polar Bears fall to 8-16 (2-5 OAC).
Sophomore Tyler Deitering went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk and run scored to lead the Polar Bears in the nightcap.
Ohio Northern allowed several free baserunners in the doubleheader, as ONU gave up 11 walks, four hit batters and five errors over the two games, compared to three walks, two hit batters and five errors for Heidelberg.
In the opener, ONU starter Justin Good failed to gain command of his pitches and took the loss, allowing two earned runs in 1.2 innings of work.
Relievers Chris Leiby and Andrew Tople combined to allow just one run over the final 5.1 innings to keep the Polar Bears in the game, but Heidelberg pitcher Ryan Minteer was nearly unhittable, closing out a complete game shutout by allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five.
Junior Devin Kisor was the only Polar Bear with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-2.
After Heidelberg jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game, senior Mark Hayes, Kisor and Deitering added consecutive singles to tie the game at 2-2, setting up a two-run double from senior Eric Yunker to give ONU a 4-2 lead.
Joe Chiarappa doubled and scored on an Eric Monroe single to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third inning.
ONU committed two errors in the sixth that led to a trio of Heidelberg runs as the Student Princes retook a 6-4 lead. Heidelberg added an insurance run on a wild pitch in the ninth to extend its lead to 7-4.
Though ONU jumped on starting pitcher Sylvester Nino for four runs in 1.1 innings in the second game, reliever Daniel Brannum closed the door with 7.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 5-0.
ONU starter Matt Magni allowed three runs (one earned) over 5.0 innings and received a no decision, while Bryce Sedio (2-3) picked up the loss in relief.
Junior Austin Price pitched well out of the bullpen, not allowing a hit, walk or run in 2.0 innings.