Junior Alex Crabtree leads No. 22 Baseball to sweep of Capital on Senior Day

By: Ashley Birchmeier

ADA - Junior Alex Crabtree pitches 8.1 innings to lead No. 22-ranked Ohio Northern baseball to a 5-2, 4-1 sweep of Capital Sunday afternoon on senior day at Wander Field, located on the campus of Ohio Northern.

The Polar Bears improve to 28-8 overall, 11-5 Ohio Athletic Conference, while Capital falls to 12-20 overall, 4-12.

In game 1, junior Nick Eltzroth got the start on the mound for the Polar Bears throwing five shut-out innings in seven innings of work.

ONU scored first, in the bottom of the first, as senior Dan Belliveauhit an RBI double to left scoring the games first run. Freshman Jordan Bostaterdrove in two more runs in the inning to give ONU the 3-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the second, Northern tacked on a few insurance runs as senior Jack LaMarca singled up the middle scoring junior Clay Small. Senior Brady Foley would capitalize on a Capital passed ball later in the inning that made it 5-0 Polar Bears.

Capital scored one in the sixth as Logan Bastin homered to make the score 5-1. 

In the seventh, the Crusaders would add one more before Northern was able to retire the side.

Junior Nick Eltzroth (8-2) allowed only two runs in 7.0 innings of work to earn the win and freshman pitcher T.J. Storer recorded his fourth save of the season with two scoreless innings of relief.

Eltzroth also had five strikeouts, giving him 104 in his career and making him the 24th member of ONU's 100-K Club on the mound. He currently ranks 22nd all-time at ONU with 103 career strikeouts.

He also has 99 career base hits and needs just one more to become the 56th member of ONU's 100-Hit Club.

In game 2, Crabtree pitched 8.1 innings recording seven strikeouts in route to the 4-1 victory.

In the fifth inning the Polar Bears erupted, platting three runs following an RBI double from LaMarca to take the 4-0 advantage.

Capital scored one run in the top of the seventh before Northern's starting pitcher Crabtree was able to get a line out to second to end the inning.

Sophomore Casey Mulcahy picked up his first save of the season retiring two batters in the top of the ninth.

ONU returns to action Tuesday as they take on Wooster at Wander Field, first pitched slatted for 4 pm.