Seniors Lead to Split with B-W
The Heidelberg University baseball team overcame an early deficit in game two of a doubleheader to earn a split with Baldwin-Wallace College in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Peaceful Valley, the home of ’Berg baseball. The visiting Yellow Jackets won game one 6-5, but the Berg bounced back for a 19-8 victory in the nightcap.
Heidelberg is ranked ninth in the nation according to D3baseball.com and improves to 26-6 overall and 11-3 in the OAC. The Berg holds a two-game lead atop the conference standings. B-W falls to 16-13 overall and 7-7 against league foes.
Today’s outing marked the final regular season home OAC doubleheader for Heidelberg’s 2009 seniors. Between contests, Heidelberg recognized its seven seniors, L.B. Emrhein (Seven Hills, Ohio / Padua Franciscan), David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North), Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles), Bryan Hartman (Circleville, Ohio / Logan Elm), Jack Bault (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo), Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) and Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick), for their hard work and dedication to the baseball program.
.jpg)
Heidelberg posted the split after rallying from an 8-3 deficit. The comeback started in the sixth inning with a run courtesy of a Wentworth RBI single to left field.
The Berg went on to overtake the scoreboard in the seventh inning, scoring five runs off of three hits and one B-W miscue. All five of its runs in the inning were unearned and came with two outs. Steve Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield) started the scoring rally with an RBI single to right field. Grassley followed with a hit before Emrhein knocked in two with a single down the left field line. Emrhein eventually rounded the bases to score the go-ahead run off a base on balls thrown to Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville).
In the eighth inning, Heidelberg extended its final margin of victory to 11 with 10 runs off of seven hits and one error. Grassley and Boytim each knocked in two runs in the inning.
Freshman Sylvester Nino (Willard, Ohio / Willard) threw 2.2 innings of relief and helped lead the Berg to victory. The win was the first for Nino of his career and he improves to 1-1. He did not allow a hit and struck out six of the eight batters that he faced.
Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) entered the game with the Berg holding a 9-8 lead and he did not give up a run to pick up his seventh save of the year. Lowe struck out four and gave up three hits. For his career, Lowe, just a sophomore, as amassed 16 saves. His 16 saves sets a new career mark at the Berg topping Ben Thorpe’s record of 15 set from 2003-05.
At the plate, every ’Berg player that registered an at bat picked up at least a hit. Overall the Berg tallied 18 hits with Grassley leading the way with a 5-for-6 outing with three RBI and four runs scored. Wentworth finished with three, while Decker, Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) and Emrhein each had two. Emrhein also knocked in three runs.
In game one, Heidelberg jumped on the scoreboard first with a run in the first inning. Lash doubled to left center field to score Wentworth, who connected for a double ahead of Lash.
Baldwin-Wallace went on to outscore the Berg 5-0 over the next three innings to hold a 5-1 advantage. In the fifth inning, the Yellow Jackets added another run in the top half, but the Berg responded with three runs of its own. Decker had an RBI single and Grassley had a two-run single to plate the three ’Berg runs.
In its final at bat, the Berg pulled with a run, 6-5, following a Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) single to right field, but could not get any closer.
Paddock suffered the loss on the mound, throwing 4.1 innings and gave up eight hits, while striking out six. Overall he stands at 6-2 for the year.
The Berg finished with 10 hits. Brechun, Decker and Grassley had two apiece. Grassley also knocked in a team-best two runs.
Heidelberg takes a break from OAC play with two-straight home non-conference outings. Action begins with Denison University on Tuesday, April 21, followed by the College of Wooster, Wednesday, April 22.
