Baseball wraps up spring break trip with 5-3 victory over Bethel (Minn.)

Baseball wraps up spring break trip with 5-3 victory over Bethel (Minn.)
March 16, 2025

DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Ohio Northern baseball team wrapped up its spring break trip with a 5-3 victory over Bethel (Minn.) on Sunday morning. 

The Basics

  • Records: Ohio Northern (10-5 overall), Bethel (Minn.) (8-4 overall).
  • Venue: NERP #3- Davenport, Fla.

Game Highlights

  • Ohio Northern took the lead early in the 1st on a RBI single by junior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky /Trinity).
  • A pair of sacrfice flies by freshman Charlie Oakleaf (New Albany) and senior Sam Sells (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) pushed the lead to 3-0, wrapping up a strong opening inning.
  • The Royals kept things close, notching two runs of their own in the bottom half of the 1st to pull within 3-2.
  • Northern struck again in the 3rd on an RBI double by senior Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay), and and RBI single by junior Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity), pushing the lead to 5-2.
  • Bethel would snag another run in the 8th, but the ONU defense held them there.
  • Senior pitcher Blake Altaffer (Montpelier) pitched 6.1 innings, and only allowed 2 runs on the day securing his first win of the season. 
  • Sophomore Matt Serdinak (Sagamore Hills/Walsh Jesuit) closed the game out for the Polar Bears, picking up his second save of the season. 
  • Oakleaf and Armstrong both led the Northern offense with 2 hits an an RBI each. 
  • Five Polar Bear hitters notched 2-hit games, 8 had at least one hit. 

Notables

  • Ohio Northern wrapped up its spring break trip with an 8-4 record.
  • This was the first all-time meeting between Ohio Northern and Bethel (Minn.)
  • Through 14 games this season, sophomore Evan Russ (Westfield, Ind.) leads the Polar Bears with a .467 batting average, going 14-for-30 with 12 RBI..
  • Amrstrong has now recorded 93 hits in 89 games.
  • Stechschulte is at 90 hits in 100 games.
  • Ohio Northern is in its 120th season of baseball. The Polar Bears are 1476-1159-20 all-time, a winning percentage of .560.
  • 14th-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is now 288-211 at Ohio Northern for a winning percentage of .577.

Up Next

  • The Polar Bears will return to action on Thursday in a netrual site matchup against Asbury (Ky) in Cinncinati at 5:00 p.m.