DAYTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College baseball team concluded its 2019 season with an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) series split with Ohio Northern University (ONU) on Sunday, falling in game one 7-4 in 10 innings and taking game two 8-3. Due to field conditions at Tewksbury-Delaney Field, the series was played at Dayton Christian High School.
In game one, neither team scored until the third inning. The Fightin' Quakers executed a double steal perfectly. Antonio Miller, who is in the top 10 in stolen bases nationally, slid into third safely. The throw was over the third basemen's head, allowing Miller to score on the play. Three batters later, Kasey Bottorff drew a bases-loaded walk that scored the second run of the inning. Unfortunately for Wilmington, two strikeouts kept ONU's deficit at just two runs.
In the very next half inning, Krue Thwaits doubled home two runs to tie the game. After a scoreless inning from both teams in the fifth, it was the Polar Bears' turn to score on a double steal as Matthew Burkett gave ONU the lead. In the seventh, the visitors tacked on another run to take a 4-2 lead.
Wilmington battled back in the eighth as Shane Hale tripled home Garvin Perkins. One batter later, Miller hit a ball over the third basemen's head scoring Hale to tie the game. After a double play ended the top of the ninth, the Quakers got the winning run 90 feet from scoring, but a strikeout and a popup sent the game into extra innings. There, the Polar Bears scored three runs in the 10th to come away with the victory, which clinched a berth in the OAC Tournament.
Jared Ferenchak received a no-decision in his final collegiate start, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits in 7.1 innings pitched. Jacob Griewahn took the loss allowing two earned runs in two innings while Jackson Buda earned his first win of the year for ONU.
Offensively, Shane Hale tallied a 3-for-4 performance including a triple while Miller, Nick Silvis, Luke Kleindl and Bottorff all tallied multi-hit games. Six Polar Bears finished with two hits.
In game two, ONU struck first for two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning. Wilmington answered with three runs on three hits in the second. After scoring an unearned run in the third, the Quakers added three more runs, all unearned, on two hits in the fourth.
Leading, 7-2, Jarett Trautman, who entered the game with an earned run average in the double digits, pitched into the ninth inning for just the second time in his career. The senior departed with two outs remaining, and fellow senior Bryant McCarty got the final two outs ensuring the Quakers ended their 2019 season with a victory.
Trautman earned the victory, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Nate Bye took the loss for ONU allowing three earned runs in two innings pitched.
Offensively, Bley finished 4-for-5 with an RBI-double and a run scored in his final collegiate game. Silvis also added a 2-for-5 performance with an RBI-double and two runs scored. Michael Rocco led the Polar Bears with a 2-for-4 performance in defeat.
Wilmington finishes its 2019 season with an 8-29 overall record and a 4-14 conference mark.
