Baseball Stumbles in OAC Opener

On the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference opening day the Heidelberg University baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Marietta College at Peaceful Valley in Tiffin, Ohio. The Pioneers posted a 7-2 win in game one and held off a late threat by the Berg to pull out an 11-8 victory in game two.
 
Heidelberg, who entered the contest ranked third in the nation according to D3baseball.com, now stands at 11-5 overall and 0-2 in the OAC, while no. 18 Marietta improves to 8-3 overall and 2-0 versus league foes.
 
In game one, Heidelberg’s Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) started things off with a single and rounded the bases on a Jack Bault (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo) double to put the Berg up 1-0 after one inning.
 
After two scoreless innings by both teams, Marietta finally overcame a sluggish start and plated four runs off of four hits to take a 4-1 lead. In the bottom half of the fourth, Travis McClarney (Mt. Vernon, Ind. / Reitz) hit his first collegiate home run to cut Heidelberg’s deficit in half, 4-2.
 
Heidelberg was held scoreless over the final three innings of the game, while Marietta added two insurance runs in the fifth and another in the seventh to push its final margin of victory to 7-2. Over the final three innings, Heidelberg left four runners on base.
 
Heidelberg’s David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North) suffered the loss on the mound. Paddock went 6.0 innings and gave up 10 hits, while striking out three.
 
At the plate, Marietta had 10 hits compared to eight by the Berg. Wentworth and Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) led the way with two hits apiece.
 
In the second game, Marietta jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three at bats. However Heidelberg did not stop battling.  In the bottom half of the third, Heidelberg plated two runs, with one out, before loading the bases for pinch hitter Derek Andrzejczak (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania). Andrzejczak stepped to the plate and belted one down the left field line and out of play for a grand slam and tied the game at 6-6.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth inning, but Marietta responded with another five-run inning in the fifth. The Berg remained scoreless until the eighth when Steve Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield) had a two RBI double to pull Heidelberg within three runs at 11-8.
 
The Berg made a final attempt to salvage a spilt on the day with the Pioneers in its final at bat. The Berg loaded the bases with just one out, but left the runners stranded and suffered the setback, 11-8.
 
Offensively, Heidelberg and Marietta each registered 12 hits. Wentworth led the Berg going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Andrzejczak finished with his grand slam and a double, while knocking in four runs. Also picking up multiple hits was McClarney with two.
 
On the mound for the Berg was Everett Thomas (Evansviile, Ohio / Harrison). Thomas threw 4.0 innings and gave up eight runs, three earned, and suffered the loss to fall to 2-1 on the year. He scattered eight hits and struck out three.
 
Heidelberg returns to action at Denison University Tuesday, March 24. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m.