Baseball sweeps Muskingum 6-2, 17-1 to move into second place in OAC standings

By Tim Glon

NEW CONCORD — The Ohio Northern baseball team swept a double header at Muskingum on Saturday 6-2 and 17-1 at Mose Morehead Field.

The Polar Bears (24-10 overall, 11-5 OAC) won the opener 6-2 and took the nightcap 17-1

The Muskies are now 14-22, 5-11.

Senior Hayden Shenefield (Powell/Worthington Kilbourne) went 7-for-10 with two runs scored and senior Jason Burkett (Maumee) went 4-for-8 with a home run, six RBI and a stolen base to lead the ONU offense in the sweep.

In Game 1, sophomore Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) improved to 4-1 on the mound, allowing just five hits and two unearned runs in 8.0 innings of work.

Northern broke a scoreless tie with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-0 lead, then broke the game wide open with a 3-run eighth to go up 6-0.

In game two, the Polar Bears pounded out 23 hits and scored in eight of the nine innings in the victory.

ONU took control early, scoring six times in the top of the first. Northern scored single runs in the second and fourth innings and a 3-run fifth made it 11-0.

Sophomore Josh Mohr (Oregon/Clay) threw 5.0 innings of shutout baseball to earn the win and improve to 5-1 on the season and sophomore Devin Johnson (Wooster) picked up his first career save with 4.0 innings of solid relief.

The Polar Bears are tied for second place in the OAC and can clinch a spot in the OAC Tournament May 10-12 with a victory in either game of its double header at home against Wilmington on May 5.

ONU will be busy until then, with two non-conference games at Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday and home tilts with Wittenberg on Monday and Olivet (Mich.) on Tuesday on the docket the next three days.