Tiffin, Ohio – April 30, 2010 – The nationally ranked Heidelberg University baseball team closed out the month of April with an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader split with Capital University this afternoon at Peaceful Valley. Heidelberg posted a 5-3 victory in game one, but could not overcome an early 7-0 lead by Capital in game two and suffered an 8-5 setback. Following the OAC outing the Berg is 28-8 overall and 12-4 in league play, while Capital stands at 10-20, 6-8.
In the opener Alex Monroe (Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Kenston) walked in the second inning and rounded the bases to score on a RBI ground out to second base by Andrew Buelow (Marysville, Mich. / Marysville) to put Heidelberg on top 1-0.
The Crusaders Ian Smith responded in the top of the third with a three-run home run to left field for a 3-1 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Buelow knocked in his second run of the game to pull the Berg within a run, 3-2.
After two scoreless innings on both sides, Heidelberg utilized a three-run sixth to seal the game one victory. All three of Heidelberg’s runs were unearned following a dropped fly ball. With two outs, Monroe sent one out to left field that went in and out of the glove of the left fielder. Off the error Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start) scored to tie the ballgame. Derek Andrzejczak (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) followed by a two-RBI single to right field to plate the game-winning runs for the Berg.
At the plate, the Berg hitters finished with five hits. Andrzejczak led the way with two, while Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland), Lizcano and Brechun had one apiece. Monroe and Lizcano had a team-leading two runs scored.
Ethan Holt (Galion, Ohio / West Holmes) got the start on the mound and went 6.0 innings to improve to 7-1 on the year. He gave up just three hits and no earned runs, while striking out six. Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) threw the final inning and picked up his 13th save on the year. In his inning of work Lowe gave up just one hit and struck out two. The 13 saves mark a new single season record at the Berg, which tops his own mark of 12 he set a season ago. Lowe has set a new single season saves record every year he has been on the mound. Last year he moved atop the Heidelberg saves record book and earlier this season he became the career saves leader in NCAA Division III.
In game two, Capital jumped out a 7-0 lead and the Berg could not regroup. The Crusaders finished the game with 12 hits, and seven came in a five-run second inning.
However, Heidelberg did not go down without a fight. In the fourth Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) led the inning off with a home run to left field and three batters later Buelow knocked in run off a double to left center field.
After Capital plated a run in the top half of the fifth, the Berg responded with two of its own in the bottom. Lizcano tripled to deep center field and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brechun. Heidelberg got a second run off a wild pitch.
The scoring concluded in the seventh for the Berg with a RBI single by Lash.
Heidelberg finished with eight hits in the loss. Lizcano finished a home run away from hitting for the cycle to lead the way. Lash and Monroe each had two hits apiece.
Brian Koehl (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) suffered the loss on the mound. Koehl got the start and went 1.1 innings. He scattered six hits and gave up six earned runs.