Baseball hangs on for 6-5 victory over Olivet (Mich.) for third straight win in Ft. Myers, Fla.

By Tim Glon

FT. MYERS, Fla. — Sophomore Devin Carr threw seven strong innings and Ohio Northern survived a ninth inning scare to defeat Olivet (Mich.) 6-5 Thursday morning at the Player Development Complex.

The Polar Bears improve to 4-1 after recording their third consecutive win, while the Comets fall to 0-1.

Carr (1-0) allowed only four hits and one earned run in seven innings of work to pick up the save.

Freshman T.J. Storer notched his first save of his career by pitching the final two innings.

Northern led 6-3 entering the top of the ninth, but a single, an error and a 2-run double put the tying run on second base with only one out.

Storer got the second out on a pop fly and senior Dan Belliveau made a terrific diving catch just in foul ground in right field to end the game.

"It wasn't pretty, but we did just enough to win," ONU head coach Gene Stechschulte said. "We got another outstanding pitching performance, but our defense committed four errors and was sloppy at times."

Freshman Jordan Bostater went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI to lead the ONU offense, which scored six runs despite managing only five base hits.

Northern scored twice in the bottom of the second to take a quick 2-0 lead.

Belliveau scored from second base on a sac bunt by Bostater to make it 1-0 and junior Nick Eltzroth scored on a single by junior Brady Foley to make it 2-0.

After OC scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, Northern answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame.

Bostater doubled and scored on a bases-loaded walk by freshman Brandon Kasberg to tie it a 3-3.

Northern took the lead on an unusual play when Foley followed with an infield fly. Foley was called out on the infield fly rule, but the first baseman dropped the ball and freshman Braydon Focht alertly scored from third with the go-ahead run.

Junior Andy Lubonovic scored on an RBI ground out by Belliveau in the fifth to make it 5-3 and Bostater singled home Belliveau with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth to push the lead to 6-3.

The Polar Bears will return to action Friday morning at 9 am against St. John's (Minn.) at Terry Park.