Baseball splits in 2011 OAC opener with Capital; Parks' arm remains solid for Polar Bears

By: Jay Garneau

ADA — The Ohio Northern baseball team's bats came alive in Game 2 to split a doubleheader with Capital in the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference opener at Wander Field on Saturday afternoon.
After dropping the opener 1-0, the Polar Bears battled back in the second game to win 10-6.

ONU is now 13-5 (1-1 OAC) on the year, while Capital moves to 5-12 overall (1-1 OAC).

In Game 2, sophomore Shane Parks (Boardman) tossed 4.0 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win and improve to 3-0 on the season.

Parks still hasn't allowed an earned run this season through 19.0 innings.

Junior Eric Yunker (Holland/Toledo Christian) led ONU at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk in the second game.

Capital used a dominant start by Justin Hoying in the first game, as he tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out seven ONU batters.

Sophomore Austin Price (Tiffin/Columbian) threw a complete game, giving up one run and six hits over 7.0 innings, striking out six but took the loss.

In Game 2, Capital jumped out to another lead, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first and adding another run in the fourth and fifth to take a 4-0 advantage.

Northern struck back in the bottom of the fifth. Seniors Erik Stegman (Parma/Parma Senior) and Adam Yunker (Holland/Toledo Christian) singled before freshman Brian Thomas (Cross Plains, Ind./South Ripley) walked to load the bases.

After Eric Yunker was hit by a pitch, freshman Josh Murphy (Kettering Fairmont) and sophomore Kevin Obarski (Powell/Bishop Watterson) added RBI singles to cut the lead to 4-3.

Back-to-back ONU errors to start the sixth led to two more Capital runs, pushing the lead to 6-3.

The Polar Bear offense then broke loose, scoring seven runs over the next three innings.

Stegman walked and Adam Yunker singled before Thomas sacrificed them into scoring position. Eric Yunker then knocked an RBI single and junior Matt Hampshire (Lima/Elida) added an RBI groundout to make it 6-5 through six innings.

In the seventh, a walk by sophomore Cory Martin (Akron/Ellet) was followed by senior Mike Hoelzel's (Canfield) 100th career hit. Stegman then singled Martin home and Adam Yunker reached on an RBI fielder's choice to take the 7-6 lead.

Eric Yunker led off the eighth with a bunt single and advanced to third on a Hampshire double. After a Murphy RBI single, Obarski and Martin also added RBIs to make the lead 10-6.

Adam Yunker, Murphy, Martin and Stegman each finished the game with two hits.

"Price pitched a heck of a game in the opener, but we just couldn't string any hits together," head coach Justin Bergman said. "The guys responded well in the second game and we were able to get back to our offensive approach."

The Polar Bears continue OAC Tuesday (April 5), when they travel to Wilmington for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.