Baseball ends season with 10-8 win in split with John Carroll

By: Jay Garneau

ADA - The Ohio Northern baseball ended its season with an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader split against John Carroll, winning the nightcap 10-8 after falling in the opener, 5-0, at Wander Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears honored their 12 seniors before the game, and close out their season with a 15-23 overall record and 7-10 mark in the OAC, while the Blue Streaks move to 18-19 overall and 9-9 in the league.

Junior Devin Kisor had a career high four hits and two doubles in his 10th multi-hit effort of the season, while senior Eric Yunker finished the doubleheader 3-for-7 with a triple and three RBIs.

Senior Justin Good closed out both games for ONU, finishing the day with 2.1 innings, one hit and no walks allowed, also striking out three and picking up his third save of the season.

Jimmy Spagna had an impressive day for John Carroll, tossing a complete game two-hit shutout in the opener and going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI double and a walk in the second game.

"It's nice to send these seniors out with a win," head coach Gene Stechschulte said. "It's been an up-and-down season, but for our 12 seniors to go out with a win is special."

Northern took advantage of three JCU errors, forcing eight unearned runs in the span of the game.

After scoring the first run of the game on a wild pitch, a Kisor RBI double made it 2-0 and a two-run single from senior Josh Murphy pushed the lead to 4-0.

ONU scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, but the Blue Streaks responded with three runs in the fifth on four hits, cutting the margin to 6-3.

Again, the Polar Bears responded, as freshman Dan Belliveau led off the fifth with a single and scored on an RBI double from senior Mark Hayes, who then scored on a Kisor single, making ONU's advantage 8-3.

An Aaron Miller solo blast made the score 8-4, but ONU added a pair of much-needed insurance runs in the seventh on a two-run Yunker single.

Five JCU hits in the eighth, including RBI doubles from Mitchell Herringshaw and Spagna, made the score 10-8, before ONU closer Justin Good entered the game.

Good retired the last four batters, striking out three, to close out the win for ONU.

Junior Austin Price received the win in relief to improve to 2-4, while Anthony Libertini started for JCU and took the loss to fall to 3-3.

Senior Ryan Damman pitched well enough to earn the win, but didn't pitch the minimum five innings, completing 4.2 innings and allowing two runs, also striking out two.

In the opener, Spagna (4-5) shut down the only two ONU rally opportunities in a dominating effort.

Yunker tripled and senior Matt Hampshire walked in the first, but they were both stranded on base.

Joe Veltri and Herringshaw each hit RBI singles in the third, giving JCU a lead it never relented.

JCU added a run in the fourth and a pair of runs in the seventh, and the team's lead was never threatened as JCU won 5-0.

Senior Cody Fisher was the tough-luck loser, allowing three runs (two earned) over 6.0 innings.