TIFFIN – A day after jumping ahead early in a game, the Heidelberg University fell victim to the same situation on Thursday. The Student Princes gave up six runs to Case Western Reserve University in the top of the first and had to play from behind the entire game. After threatening in the sixth, the Student Princes pulled within four, but that was the closest they would come, falling 14-6 to the visiting Spartans.
After striking out the leadoff batter, junior Kyle Fluharty ran into trouble in his seventh start of the year. Case (16-9) went for six runs in the inning, chasing Fluharty from the game after just two-thirds of an inning. He ended up taking the loss, dropping to 3-3 on the season.
Heidelberg (22-6) was able to get the first two batters of the bottom of the first aboard, but they were stranded to end the inning.
The Spartans struck for three more runs in the third inning, increasing their lead to 9-0 off of Heidelberg reliever Jordan Watson.
After that inning, Jimmy Kenosh entered in relief on the mound and was very sharp to open his appearance. Working quickly, he retired Case in order for three straight innings, bringing the Berg to the plate with that nine-run deficit still holding in the bottom of the sixth.
Doug Miller, coming off a 4-for-5 day on Wednesday, led off the inning with a bang. The senior drilled a home run to right field, the first of his career, to put Heidelberg on the board. After Derek Hug reached on an infield single, Eric Monroe hit the second Berg homer of the inning, a towering two-run blast to left-center field. After Case brought in a reliever, Adam Hershberger hit an RBI single to right for the fourth run of the inning. With two outs, Miller reached on a fielder's choice where T.J. Harkness beat the throw to second, making the score 9-5. With the bases loaded, Hug grounded out to end the inning, stranding three runners.
The Student Princes were unable to ride that momentum, as Case scored a pair in the top of the seventh to regain control off of Kenosh.
Despite those two runs, the Berg kept their power alive in the bottom of the seventh when Steven Morse crushed a two-out solo home run, his fourth of the season.
That burst of energy was short-lived, however as the Spartans answered with three runs in the eighth to put away the game. Heidelberg was unable to rally back again, falling by a 14-6 final.
Miller and Monroe led the team with two RBI each while Morse collected two hits, a double and a homer, in the loss.
Steve Huber closed out the game on the hill for the Berg, going 1.1 scoreless innings.
UP NEXT
Heidelberg will be back to conference play this weekend, facing Wilmington in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18th. The first of those two OAC contests is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. at Peaceful Valley in Tiffin.