Dominant pitching leads Baseball to doubleheader sweep of Anna Maria (Mass.)

By: Andrew Korba

FORT MYERS (Fla.) -- The Ohio Northern baseball team concluded its spring trip with a two dominating pitching performances, on its way to a doubleheader sweep over Anna Maria (Mass.) on Saturday at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Polar Bears won Game 1 by a 7-2 score and Game 2 by a 6-0.

Northern is now 6-4 on the season, while the Amcats fall to 2-7.

In the first game, freshman Nick Eltzroth (1-0) pitched six dominant innings, giving up two runs on just one hit. He also struck out five.

The second game saw senior Austin Price (2-0) go all seven innings, giving up just four hits and striking out six.

Freshman Grant Wilson led ONU in Game 1, going 3-for-3 with 3 RBI's and freshman Cody Meyer went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

ONU struck in the first inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore Dan Belliveau and a RBI single from Wilson.

Anna Maria got on the board in the top of the third, cutting the ONU lead to 2-1.

But the Polar Bears responded in their half of the third on a single from freshman Alex Crabtree that scored senior Cory Martin and Wilson.

The Amcats would cut their deficit to 4-2 on a groundout in the fourth inning.

But Northern put the game away in its half of the fourth.

Meyer ripped a RBI single to left to score sophomore Jack LaMarca and push the ONU lead to 5-2.

Wilson then hit a double to center field, scoring Martin and Belliveau to put the Polar Bears up 7-2.

Eltzroth put the first two batters on in the seventh, but junior Andrew Tople retired the next three batters to end the game.

Game 2 saw ONU get on the board in the first inning, on a sacrifice fly from Martin.

The Polar Bears pushed their lead to 2-0 in the third on a RBI single from Wilson.

Northern would plate four runs in the fourth to push its lead to 6-0.

Crabtree led off the inning and reached on an error.

After LaMarca lined out, Crabtree was sacrificed to second by Meyer.

Belliveau came up and ripped a single to center, scoring Crabtree.

Martin followed with a RBI single to score Belliveau.

After Wilson was hit by a pitch, Eltzroth ripped a double to right field scoring both Wilson and Martin.

Anna Maria was threatening in the ninth, but LaMarca gunned down Mike Guarnieri at home to end the ballgame.

The Polar Bears, who went 6-4 on the trip to open their season, will place next on March 19 at Defiance, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:15 pm.