Heidelberg Picks Up Two Against Nationally-Ranked Otterbein

The Heidelberg College baseball team topped no. 22 Otterbein College 7-4, 9-4 in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader in Westerville, Ohio. The wins bring Heidelberg’s record up to 17-5 on the year, 4-2 in the conference.

David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North) picked up the win for the Student Princes in the first game. He threw 6 2/3 innings and allowed 10 hits, four runs, two walks, and struck out five. Steve Calevro (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) came in as relief and got the save and the last out of the inning in the seventh.

Heidelberg and Otterbein were tied 1-1 going into the top of the sixth inning. The Berg managed to post five runs on the board before the Cardinals finally got the third out. An error allowed Steve Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield) to score first for Heidelberg, followed across the plate by Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) who was driven in by a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / North). Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) came home next, having stolen third and then advancing to the plate thanks to a throwing error by Otterbein’s catcher. The last two runs came off the bat of Willie Brechun (Clinton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic). He singled to left and drove Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) and L. B. Emrhein (Seven Hills, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) home.

The Berg went onto score one more the next inning, and held the Cardinals to one in the sixth and two in the seventh to secure the win. Lash led the team by going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs.

The second began like the first with Otterbein scoring first. The Cardinals drove in two runs in the first to get an early lead. Heidelberg answered back big in the third, however, producing another five-run inning. The Berg scored once more in the sixth, where Otterbein also plated two.

The Student Princes topped things off with a three-run inning in the ninth. Grassley doubled to left and earned an RBI when Emrhein ran in. Gar Keen (Fredricktown, Ohio / Highland) soon followed at the plate and drove Grassley and Cody James (Belle Center, Ohio / Benjamin Logan) home with a double to left center.

Grassley led the offense with three hits, two runs, and four RBIs, while Keen also hit three and posted one run and two RBIs. Andrew McFarland (Mansfield, Ohio / Madison) earned the win in 5 1/3 innings of work. He allowed eight hits, four runs, two walks, and struck out two. Calevro picked up another save by pitching 3 1/3 innings and striking out two.

Defensively for the games, Decker and Boytim recorded a team-high 10 put outs apiece, while Keen tossed five assists into the mix.

Heidelberg returns to action on Wednesday, April 9, at Capital University. The doubleheader is set to start at 1 p.m.