Heidelberg Amasses 30 Wins

For the second straight season, and fifth time in the program history, the Heidelberg University baseball team has amassed 30 wins. The Berg accomplished the feat with a doubleheader sweep of host Wittenberg University tonight, April 28, in Springfield, Ohio. In game one, Heidelberg posted a 12-4 victory and claimed a 9-3 win in game two.
 
Heidelberg, ranked eighth in the nation according to D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association, has reached the 30-win plateau under the guidance of 10-th year head coach Matt Palm. In the last 10 years, the Berg has racked up all of its 30-win seasons. Overall the Berg stands at 31-7, while Wittenberg is 16-21.
 
In game one, Wittenberg scored first in its initial at bat, but was then held scoreless till the last inning. After two scoreless innings, the Heidelberg bats came alive and plated nine runs over innings three through five. Heidelberg added three insurance runs in the seventh to push the final margin of victory to 12-4.
 
Sophomore Brian Koehl (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania) threw a four-hitter in 6.0 innings of work and picked up the win on the mound. He allowed just one run, while striking out two. Senior Bryan Hartman (Circleville, Ohio / Logan Elm) threw the final inning and gave up four hits and three runs, two earned.
 
Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) led the way at the plate for the Berg hitting 4-for-5, with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Biagio Boytim (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick), Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) and Ricky Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start) each registered three hits and two runs scored apiece. Grassley led the way with three RBI.
 
In the second outing on the night, Heidelberg scored in the top of the first and exploded for five runs in the third to take control and never let up. Heidelberg added another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Wittenberg plated all three of its runs in the eighth inning.
 
Helping keep the Tigers at bay early on was freshman Elvin Williams (Euclid, Ohio / Euclid). Williams earned the start on the mound and pitched a one-hitter through five innings. He struck out three in the process and improved to 4-0 on the year. Nathan James (Rockport, Ind. / South Spencer) and Branden Stucky (Medina, Ohio / Medina) combined to throw a hitless and scoreless sixth and seventh. Mitch Jones (Dayton, Ohio / Oakwood) got the call in the eighth and Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) closed out the game in the ninth.
 
At the plate, Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles), Keen and Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) had two hits apiece to lead the Berg. Keen and Lash combined to knock in four runs.