Belliveau, LaMarca homer as Baseball splits double header with Baldwin Wallace

By: Andrew Korba

ADA -- Junior Dan Belliveau and junior Jack LaMarca each hit solo home runs, leading the Ohio Northern baseball team to a split with Baldwin Wallace in a key OAC double header on Thursday afternoon at Wander Field.

BW (18-11, 7-5) won Game 1 by a 5-4 score, while the Polar Bears (19-8, 7-5) took the second game 6-3.

In Game 2, ONU trailed 3-1 before Belliveau's solo homer cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning.

The home run was his team and OAC leading eighth of the season.

The Polar Bears would score another run in the fourth, when senior Daniel Rodriguez hit into a fielder's choice that scored senior Matt Magni and tied the game at 3-3.

Northern took the lead in the seventh inning.

After Belliveau reached on an error, sophomore Nick Guitar tripled to deep center to give the Polar Bears a 4-3 advantage.

Sophomore Clay Small singled a few batters later to drive in Guitar and make the score 5-3.

LaMarca closed out the scoring with his solo homer to right in the seventh inning.

Senior Chad Smith picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the season and junior Brady Foley picked up his second.

Sophomore Andy Lubonovic, Magni and Small each finished with two hits in the contest.

In Game 1, ONU jumped on the board in the second inning, on a RBI single from Guitar.

The Yellow Jackets answered with a 2-run home run in the third to jump in front 2-1.

Northern took the lead back at 4-3 in the sixth, on sacrifice flies by Guitar and Small.

Baldwin Wallace tied the game in the seventh, but a RBI groundout from LaMarca put ONU back in front 4-3.

The Yellow Jackets tied the game in the eighth and pushed a run across in the ninth inning to get the win.

Sophomore Nick Eltzroth went 6.1 innings and struck out five batters, while picking up a no-decision.

Ohio Northern has a quick turnaround and will return to action on Friday, when it hosts Marietta in another OAC double header at 1 pm.