BEREA, Ohio - The No. 10 nationally ranked Mount Union baseball team split a doubleheader on the road against No. 16 Baldwin Wallace in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) showdown on Wednesday. The Purple Raiders won 4-3 in extra innings in game one and lost 15-8 in the nightcap fueled by the Yellow Jackets totaling five home runs.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and is the first in conference play for Mount Union (22-5, 7-1 OAC).
In game one, Mount Union started the scoring in the top of the fifth when sophomore
Aaron Tucker (Alliance, OH / West Branch) hit a two-run double to center field, scoring senior
Aidan Schroeder (Pittsburgh, PA / Keystone Oaks) and junior
Trevor Szekely (Canal Fulton, OH / Northwest). Baldwin Wallace responded in the bottom of the fifth, tying it at 2. In the top of the tenth inning, junior
Luke Ickes (Green, OH / Green) delivered an RBI double to right center to score junior
Brycen Fox (Hamilton, OH / Badin), and sophomore Daniel Tome (Cleveland, OH / St. Edwards) immediately followed with an RBI double down the left-field line to score Ickes, giving Mount Union a 4-2 lead for the eventual game-winning hit. The Yellow Jackets pushed across one unearned run in the bottom of the tenth, however, junior
Christopher Maurer (Hudson, OH / Hudson) secured his third save of the season, closing out the 4-3 victory with two strikeouts in the 10th inning. Junior
Ty Dennison (Hudson, OH / Hudson) pitched 5.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing only three hits and one earned run, in the do decision. Junior
Drew Gernert (Mequon, WI / Homestead) finished the game, notching his fourth win of the season (4-0). Gernert pitched 3.1 innings in relief with four strikeouts, allowing one hit and zero earned runs.
In game two, Baldwin Wallace (19-6, 6-2 OAC) separated with an eight-run sixth inning. Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider led the way for the Yellow Jackets with three home runs, three of five Yellow Jacket homers. Mount Union scored its first run in the fifth inning on an RBI single to center field by Tome. The Purple Raiders went on to score five runs in the top of the ninth inning, as the offense battled late. The push was highlighted by a three-run home run to left field by Tome, his third of the season, and an RBI double to center field by freshman
Luke Perkins (Olmstead Falls, OH / Olmstead Falls). Tome finished game two with four RBIs. Senior
Anthony Warner (Louisville, OH / Louisville) (1-3) took the loss for Mount Union after allowing eight earned runs in 5.0 innings pitched.
Mount Union is back on the diamond with another OAC doubleheader showcase, this time at home vs. Ohio Northern on Saturday, April 11, with a 1 p.m. start.
