Baseball clinches fourth consecutive winning season with 15-3 victory over Ohio Wesleyan
By Caleb Scott
LIMA -- Sophomores Luke Klinehoffer (Zanesville/John Glenn) and Austin Frey (Peoria, Az./Sunrise Mountain) led the Ohio Northern baseball team to its fourth consecutive winning season with a 15-3 victory over Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday evening at the OSU Lima Baseball Field.
The Polar Bears improve to 21-17 overall, while the Bishops fall to 14-23.
Northern was led offensively by Klinehoffer as he went 2-for-4 at the plate, including his first career grand slam, and added four RBI and three runs scored.
Frey earned the victory on the mound for Northern as he went five innings and allowed only three hits, while striking out a game-high seven batters.
Junior closer T.J. Storer (Loveland/Moeller) earned his NCAA-leading 14th save of the season.
With the victory, Northern clinches its fourth consecutive winning season.
The Polar Bear offense recorded 14 hits in the victory.
OWU opened the contest with a run in the first inning, before Frey pitched out of the inning to keep the damage to a minimum.
In the bottom of the first inning, Northern took a 3-1 lead with a 3-hit inning.
After junior Jordan Bostater (Bryan) opened the inning with a single and sophomore Caleb Thomas (Strongsville) was hit by a pitch, a walk from Klinehofferwould load the bases.
From there, junior Hayden Shenefield (Powell/Worthington Kilbourne) would drive home two runs with an infield single, before freshman Phil Buckingham (Wayne/Elmwood) drove Shenefield home with a single to left field.
In the ensuing inning, Bostater would earn an RBI with a ground out to second base to plate junior Dan Barna (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley).
In the bottom of the fourth inning junior Brandon Kasberg (Mentor) hit an RBI single to left field to plate Barna and add insurance run to push the lead to 5-1.
Northern would add nine more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as Buckingham earned an RBI with a bases loaded walk, Klinehoffer scored on an RBI single from senior Kyle Schlade (Hamilton/Talawanda), Shenefield scored on a passed ball, Buckingham and Burkett each scored on walks, and Klinehoffer capped the contest off with his first career grand slam to push the lead to 14-1.
OWU would add two more in the top of the seventh inning, but couldn't manage to get any closer as Northern went on to win 15-3.
The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Marietta to take on the Pioneers at 1 pm in the final regular season contests of the season.