'Berg Picks Up Two More OAC Victories

Junior centerfielder Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) went 6-for-8 at the plate to help lead the Heidelberg College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Ohio Athletic Conference foe Capital University. The Berg traveled south to Columbus to face the Crusaders and came away with a 5-1 win in game one and a 5-3 victory in game two. The two wins mark six-straight wins for the Berg in league action to improve to 6-2, while standing at 19-5 overall. Capital fell to 6-16 overall and 0-8 in the OAC.

Capital held a 1-0 lead after four innings in game one, but the Berg plated three runs in the fifth to take control of the game. Gar Keen (Fredericktown, Ohio / Highland) started the inning off with a double to center field and Tony Pawlowicz (Montpelier, Ohio / Montpelier) followed with a two-run home run to left field. Two batters later Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) reached the base paths on a single before being knocked in on a Wentworth triple. Heidelberg added a run each in the sixth and seventh innings to push the final score to 5-1.

Pitching a complete game was Jake Gossman (Westerville, Ohio / South) Gossman gave up just four hits, while striking out seven. The win improved Gossman to 3-1 on the year.

Game two saw Heidelberg jump on the board in its first at bat courtesy of a Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) RBI double. Capital tied the score in the third following a Heidelberg miscue.

Capital and Heidelberg traded the lead twice over innings four to six, and Capital held a slim 3-2 lead. Heidelberg responded with a three-run inning in the seventh and went on to hold the Crusaders scoreless to earn the win. Heidelberg’s three-run inning was highlighted by a two RBI single from Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick).

Sophomore Everett Thomas (Evansville, Ind. / Harrison) picked up the win on the mound, throwing 6.0 innings. Thomas improved to 4-1 on the year following his seven-hit and two strike out performance. He gave up three runs, two earned, while on the mound. Throwing the final three innings of action to pick up the save was freshman Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll). Lowe allowed just one hit and struck out one. For the year Lowe has preserved three victories.

Backing Wentworth’s efforts at the plate was Cody James (Belle Center, Ohio / Benjamin Logan) with four hits, while Pawlowicz picked up three. Boytim finished with two hits in game two, while Keen and Lash each recorded one hit in both games. Wentworth, James and Boytim each knocked in two runs apiece. Lash is the two-time OAC Hitter of the Week and following tonight’s outing Lash has extended his team-leading hitting streak to 11 contests.

Heidelberg takes a break from OAC action tomorrow when it faces Denison University in a nine-inning contest. The Berg will face Denison at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark, the four-year home of the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.