Baseball Opens OAC Tournament Victorious

The 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament took a few extra hours to begin because of rain, but the late start did not phase no. 1 seeded Heidelberg University. The Berg posted a 13-3 victory over no. 4 seeded John Carroll University to continue on in the winner’s bracket to face the winner between no. 2 Otterbein College and no. 3 Marietta College.
 
Aside from forcing a change of schedule for Heidelberg’s outing, the inclement weather forced the postponement of game two of the tournament until Friday, May 8, at 9:30. Heidelberg will return to the diamond at 12:30 on Friday to play for a chance to return to the title game for the second-straight year.
 
The win improved Heidelberg to 34-7 overall and marked the 300th career head coaching victory for 10th-year head coach Matt Palm. Palm has guided the Berg to a record of 300-136-2.
 
Senior left fielder Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) connected for a solo home run to left field on his first pitch in the bottom of the first to get the Berg on the scoreboard.
 
John Carroll tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning with an RBI double by Chris Cairo, but Heidelberg exploded for six runs off of six hits in the third inning to set the tone of the ballgame. Four of its six hits in the inning were doubles. Connecting for a two-base hit in was Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio / St. Charles), Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville), Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) and L.B. Emrhein (Seven Hills, Ohio / Padua Franciscan).
 
In the fourth, JCU plated two runs, compared to one by the Berg, to pull within 8-3. Heidelberg held the Blue Streaks scoreless the remainder of the contest, while adding a run in the sixth and four in the eighth for the eventual 13-3 win.
 
Senior ace David Paddock (Westerville, Ohio / North) got the start and went 8.0 innings. He gave up just seven hits and six earned runs, while striking out six. The victory improved Paddock’s OAC leading record to 9-2. Junior Everett Thomas (Evansville, Ind. / Harrison) threw the final inning and allowed just one hit and struck out one.
 
Paul O’Donnell picked up the loss on the mound to fall to 6-3. He went 6.0 innings and gave up 12 hits and nine earned runs.
 
At the plate, Heidelberg held a 16-8 advantage in hits. Eight of Heidelberg’s nine batters picked up a hit led by three hits apiece from Wentworth, Grassley, Lash and Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland). Lash knocked in four runs and Grassley scored three of his own.
 
Leading the John Carroll hitters was Chris Eggleton and Cairo, going 2-for-4 apiece.