(ADA, OH)--Mount Union's baseball team saw its hopes of making
next week's four-team Ohio Athletic Conference swept away as Ohio
Northern won both ends of a conference twinbill, 6-5 and 6-1
Wednesday in Ada.
The sweep leaves the Raiders at 15-16 overall but at 5-9 in the OAC
and close out the season at home with doubleheaders Friday at 1 pm
against Heidelberg and Sunday against Capital at 1 pm
Ohio Northern took a huge step forward in securing a tournament bid
as the Polar Bears are 26-10 overall and at 10-6 in the OAC can
lock up a bid with a sweep Saturday against John Carroll.
Playing for the first time in two weeks, Mount Union suffered a
similar fate as it did back then as the opponent scored in its
final at-bat for the win.
Ohio Northern pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth inning
as Greg Gibbons drove in the go ahead run on a fielder's choice
then Brett Katana allowed two hits but worked a scoreless seventh
for his eighth save of the season and a 6-5 Polar Bear win.
Lead-off homers in both the first and second innings gave Ohio
Northern a 2-0 lead, but the Raiders rallied with three runs in the
third as Matt Tracy (PIttsburgh/Central Catholic) and Connor Nell
(Powell/Olentangy) had back to RBI doubles followed by an RBI
single from Kyle Von Dukye (Medina/Medina).
The Polar Bears did not take long to answer as they scored three in
the bottom of the third to retake the lead, 5-3.
Mount Union came back again, this time in the fifth inning on a
two-out RBI double from Ty Wood (Hudson/Hudson) tied the game at
5-5 but the Raiders got no closer.
Beau Smith (Fredrick, MD/Fredrick) took the loss (3-1) as the only
hit he allowed in 3.1 innings of work in relief came in the
decisive sixth inning.
Kevin Sigg also only allowed one hit in 1.1 innings of relief to
get the win for ONU.
In the nightcap, Mount Union was held to seven hits and stranded 12
base runners in a 6-1 loss.
Justin Good allowed only four hits over the first six innings to
get the win as four Polar Bears combined to not allow an earned
run.
Ohio Northern chipped away with a two-run first and then single
runs in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
Mount Union pitcher Cody Colly (Massillon/Massillon Washington)
struck out six but allowed six runs on 10 hits to fall to 4-3 on
the season.
Nell had three hits, Dan Henderson (Canton/GlenOak) had two hits
and Tracy drove in the only run on a sacrifice fly.
