The Berg Cannot Overcome Early Deficit In OAC Tournament Setback

The Heidelberg College baseball team threatened  to pull out a come-from behind victory in its final at bat, but fell just shy in an 8-7 setback to Capital University in opening round action of the 2007 Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament hosted by Heidelberg at the home of ’Berg baseball, Peaceful Valley.

Heidelberg entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, while Capital held down the No. 4 seed. Capital will continue on in the winners bracket and face No. 3 seed Otterbein College tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Otterbein posted a 7-3 victory in game one of the tournament over No. 2 seed Marietta College. Heidelberg and Marietta will square off in the double elimination tournament at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.

The Berg fell behind 5-2 after three innings and could not overcome the deficit in the setback. The game was scoreless in the fifth inning, and Capital and Heidelberg exchanged two runs apiece in the sixth to push the score to 7-2 in favor of the Crusaders. Heidelberg outscored Capital 4-1 over the final four innings and had the go-ahead run on the base paths in the bottom of the ninth, but could not capitalize.

Suffering the loss on the mound was sophomore David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North). Paddock pitched 5.2 innings, gave up 13 hits, eight runs with five earned, while striking out four.

Leading Heidelberg’s offense was Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) and Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / North) with three hits apiece. Also recording multiple hits was Alex Rutter (Bowling Green, Ohio / Bowling Green), Jack Bault (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo) and Tyler Tocco (Dublin, Ohio / Coffman). Bault and Tony Pawlowicz (Montpelier, Ohio / Montpelier) each knocked in two runs.