Austintown, Ohio – March 22, 2010 – For the second time on the 2010 season the Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week honor has landed in Tiffin. Heidelberg University’s junior right-handed closer Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) is the recipient of the pitcher of the week honor for the week of March 22. He is joining sophomore Sylvester Nino’s (Willard, Ohio / Willard) award from the week of March 8.
For the week of March 22 Lowe is one of four honorees from the Berg. Picking up softball hitter of the week honors was senior third baseman Andrea Gerdeman (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf), while Heidelberg swept the tennis awards. Sophomore Kayla Gerber (Clyde, Ohio / Clyde) and junior Dylan Booth (Westerville, Ohio / Central) were honored.
In a 5-0 week for the nationally ranked baseball team Lowe made five appearances and went 1-0 while preserving three wins. He threw 9.2 innings and allowed just five hits and struck out 11. He did not walk a batter and did not allow a run.
On Tuesday Lowe picked up his second save on the year, throwing the final 1.2 innings against Bluffton University. He stuck out three and gave up just one hit in an 8-4 victory.
Heidelberg traveled to Ohio Wesleyan University on Wednesday and posted a come from behind win. Down 7-4 heading into its final at bat, the Berg plated four runs en route to an 8-7 win. Lowe threw a two-hitter over the final two innings, while striking out one to record his first win in 2010.
Over the weekend the Berg swept a three-game series with fellow nationally ranked foe Adrian College. On Friday, Lowe pitched 2.0 innings and stuck out three in a 13-9 win.
On Saturday, in a doubleheader, Lowe entered both games in a save situation and did not falter to increase his save total on the week to three. He combined to throw four innings of the doubleheader and gave up just two hits, while striking out one. Heidelberg was victorious in game one by a score of 5-3 and won game two 9-1.
For the year Lowe has made nine appearances on the mound and boasts a 0.00 earned run average. He also leads the team with four saves and a .137 opponent’s batting average. He is second on the staff with 15 strikeouts in his 14.1 innings of work.
Overall Heidelberg, under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Matt Palm, is 12-1 on the year and ranked third n the nation according to D3baseball.com.