With a 5-3 victory over the Pride of Widener (PA.) University, the Heidelberg University baseball team and 14th year head coach Matt Palm remain unbeaten in 2013.
Junior second baseman Joe Staab (Bellville/Clear Fork) led the Berg offensively hitting two of four at the plate, driving in one run and smashing out one double.
Widener drew first blood with a solo home run off of freshman righty Alex Zander (Brooklyn Heights/Cuyahoga Falls) with two outs in the first inning. The Student Princes answered in their half of the first when sophomore first baseman Eric Monroe (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) reached first on an error, scoring Staab from third.
The two teams played a scoreless second inning, but the Pride took a 3-1 advantage in the third when Alec O’Dell scored from second on an error and Brendan O’Brian batted in Dennis Hocker from third.
With no outs in the third, the Berg coaching staff brought in senior righty Teddy Lowe (Fort Wayne, IN./Carroll) to replace Zander on the mound. Lowe managed to retire the next three batters without surrendering a run and escape the third unscathed.
Lowe retired the side in the fourth and fifth inning, allowing only one Widener hit. The Student Princes dropped three runs on the Pride in the fourth inning that began with a single from the first batter of the inning, sophomore third baseman Steven Morse (Scotsdale, AZ./Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MI)). Junior Arneal Squibb (Mishawaka, IN./Mishawaka) advanced Morse to second with a single of his own.
Morse was called out at second on a Tyler Oldham (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) fielder’s choice.
Following the fielder’s choice, junior shortstop Andrew Zenczak (Brunswick) was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Staab. Staab singled to right field, driving in Squibb from third. Zenczak was thrown out at second on the play, but Oldham managed to advance to third and would score on a wild pitch.
A double from freshman outfielder T.J. Harkness (Fremont/Fremont Ross) would drive in Staab capping off the three run rally.
Lowe would be replaced by sophomore righty Adam Manner (Bellevue) in the sixth inning after facing nine batters in three full innings of work, striking out one and surrendering one hit.
Manner kept the Pride scoreless in the sixth allowing the Berg to add to their lead. After a pair of doubles by Alex Grove (Canal Fulton/Canton Central Catholic) and Steven Morse, Squibb smashed a sacrifice fly into left, scoring Grove from third.
With two outs the Berg would load the bases again for Staab, but the Student Prince could not cash in on the offensive opportunity and the game moved into the seventh inning with the Heidelberg leading 5-3.
In the seventh Manner surrendered only a walk before escaping the inning. The Pride swapped freshmen on the mound, replacing their starter, Shawn Barton with Craig Lager. Lager managed to keep the Berg bats fairly quite for the remainder of the outing.
Manner gave up a single in the eighth but still kept the Pride scoreless before being replaced in the ninth by freshman lefty Kyle Fluharty (Plymouth/Willard). The young lefty struck out three of the four batters he faced to close out the game for the Berg.
Lowe will be credited with the win against the Pride while Fluharty will collect his second save of the year. The win is Teddy’s second of the season.
Widener’s Barton is credited with the loss.
The Student Princes will take tomorrow off and gear up for Central (IA.) College on Friday, March 8, 2013. First pitch from Fort Myers, Florida is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.