Pitching Keeps the Berg Atop OAC

A solid outing by the Heidelberg University baseball team’s pitching staff helped lead to a doubleheader sweep of Mount Union College in Ohio Athletic Conference action. Heidelberg posted a 3-0 win in game one and returned for a 7-2 victory in game two in Alliance, Ohio.
 
The win improves no. 11 Heidelberg to a league-leading 8-2, which it shares with Marietta College, who swept Wilmington College today. Heading into the contest, Heidelberg, Marietta and Mount Union set in a three-way tie atop the standings. Overall the Berg stretches its winning streak to 12 games to improve to 23-5 overall. The Purple Raiders stand at 16-8 overall and 6-4 in the OAC.
 
Senior left-hander David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North) threw a complete game four-hit shutout in the opener. He struck out eight in the process to garner his team-leading sixth victory on the year.
 
Heidelberg scored two runs in its first at bat and it proved enough for the eventual win. An insurance run was added in its last at bat to extend the final margin of victory to three. Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick) had an RBI single to right field and Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) scored on a wild pitch to account for the two first inning runs for the Berg. Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) knocked in the third ’Berg run with a single to center in the seventh.
 
For the game, Heidelberg registered seven hits. Lash and Boytim went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the way. Lash scored twice, while Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles) scored once.
 
Everett Thomas (Evansville, Ind. / Harrison) got the call in game two and threw six innings to improve to 2-2 on the year. He gave up just five hits, while striking out two. Throwing the final three innings was reining OAC Pitcher of the Week Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll). Mount Union had two hits against Lowe and struck out twice.
 
Heidelberg once again jumped on the scoreboard with two runs in its first at bat and added four more in the second inning, while holding the Purple Raiders scoreless. Mount Union plated both its runs in the third to cuts its deficit to four, 6-2. Thomas kept the Purple Raiders at bay for the remainder of the contest, while the Heidelberg hitters added another run in the seventh to push the final score to 7-2.
 
Lash connected for an RBI triple in the first and Keen followed with an RBI ground out to plate the two ’Berg runs in the first. In the second inning, the bottom of Heidelberg’s batting order loaded the bases to start the inning and set up a Wentworth two RBI single. After a double steal by L.B. Emrhein (Seven Hills, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) and Wentworth, Lash knocked in both with a single to right field. Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) pushed Heidelberg’s final run across the plate on a fielder’s choice.
 
Heidelberg finished with 11 hits, with seven different players picking up a hit. Finishing with two hits apiece was Wentworth, Lash, Jack Bault (Randloph, Ohio / Waterloo) and Steve Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield). Lash had three RBI followed by Wentworth with two.
 
The Berg returns to action at Ohio Northern University Tuesday, April 14, beginning at 1:00 p.m