Baseball Moves Atop League Standings with Sweep of Mount Union

It took three days to do it, but the Heidelberg College baseball team moved atop the Ohio Athletic Conference standings. Heidelberg took to the diamond today against Mount Union College, a doubleheader that was originally scheduled for Saturday, and swept the league leading Purple Raiders, 5-4 in 11 innings and returned to take a 9-4 win in the night cap.

Mount Union entered the contest holding a slim one-game advantage over second place Heidelberg, Marietta College and John Carroll University. Following the Heidelberg sweep and a Marietta sweep, the two sit atop the standings at 8-2, while John Carroll split today and hold down second place at 7-3, along with Mount Union.

Overall Heidelberg has won 12 of its last 13 outings, and has rattled off eight-consecutive league victories. For the year, Heidelberg boasts a record of 22-5, while Mount Union fell to 16-9.

In game one Mount Union opened the contest with four runs in the top of the first and held an eventual 4-1 advantage heading into Heidelberg’s final at bat. In the seventh, Heidelberg loaded the bases with one out to set up a Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) two RBI single through the left side, which pulled Heidelberg within one run, 4-3. Two batters later, with two outs, Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) singled through the left side to score Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) for the game-tying run and forced extra innings.

Heidelberg and Mount Union battled back and forth through three and half scoreless innings. The Berg broke the tie in the bottom on the 11th inning. Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) started things off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Wentworth. Freshman Andrew Buelow (Marysville, Mich. / Marysville) then connected for a double to right center field to score Lash for the game-winning run.

Coming out of the bullpen to pitch the final 7.2 innings of the ballgame was Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll). Lowe scattered just three hits, while striking out four en route to his first collegiate victory. He gave up no runs in the process.

At the plate, Heidelberg picked up 12 hits compared to nine from Mount Union. Lash led the way with a 3-for-5 outing, to go along with three runs scored. Wentworth, Cody James (Belle Center, Ohio / Benjamin Logan) and Gar Keen (Fredericktown, Ohio / Highland) each picked up two hits apiece.

In the nightcap Heidelberg jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings and never relinquished its lead. Mount Union scored its first run of the game in the fourth before Heidelberg plated three more runs in the fifth to hold a 6-1 advantage. However the Purple Raiders plated three runs in the sixth off of two hits and two Heidelberg miscues to cut its deficit to two runs, 6-4.

The Berg offense did not back down and returned with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the sixth and went on to hold Mount Union scoreless in the seventh for the win.

Senior Andrew McFarland (Mansfield, Ohio / Madison) earned the start on the mound, throwing 5.2 innings and gave up three hits, while striking out three. He gave up four runs, but none earned, to improve to 5-1 on the year. Pitching the final 1.1 innings was Steve Calevro (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg). Calevro allowed just one hit to pick up his team-leading fifth save on the year.

Heidelberg continued to show its power at the dish, tallying 14 hits, while holding Mount Union to just four. Picking up three hits for the second time on the night on Lash. Joining Lash with three hits was Grassley. Keen knocked in a team-leading three runs, while Grassley scored three runs.

Heidelberg, under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Matt Palm, continues it trek through the OAC with Ohio Northern University tomorrow. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Peaceful Valley.