McMann homers, Bye goes the distance as Baseball splits with St. Mary’s (Minn.)

By Bud Denega 

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Ohio Northern baseball team split its doubleheader with St. Mary's (Minn.) Friday during the Russ Matt Invitational. The Polar Bears downed the Cardinals 11-0 in the nightcap after falling to St. Mary's 3-2 in the opener in games played on Myrtle Lake #4. 

The result pushed Northern's record to 4-5 on the season. 

Senior Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) went the distance in Game 2 to improve to 1-1 on the season. He only surrendered two hits and struck out six, needing just 71 pitches to dispose of the Cardinals. 

Sophomore Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian) provided the pop at the plate. He boasted three hits, one of which was a three-run homer and the other was a double. 

Sophomore Chayten Overholt (Delphos/Lincolnview) logged a pair of hits and two runs batted in, while juniors Andy Mills (Cincinnati/St. Xavier), Michael Rocco (Orlando, Fla./Zionsville (Ind.)) and Mathew Burkett (Maumee) each recorded two hits and an RBI. Junior Krue Thwaits (Greenville/Milton-Union) and sophomore Mason Troyer (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) rounded out the RBI-getters for ONU. 

The Polar Bears jumped out to the early advantage with a three-run bottom of the first frame. Northern added two more in the third and exploded for four in the fourth before adding a run apiece in the last two innings. 

Burkett and junior Will Davis (Upper Arlington/Bishop Watterson) enjoyed multi-hit games in the opener, and Rocco registered the lone RBI. The Polar Bears tallied a run in the fifth and another in the sixth inning, but a three-run bottom of the sixth for St. Mary's gave the Cardinals a narrow victory. 

Senior Troy Wagner (Liberty Township/Lakota West) received the start for ONU and went five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts. 

The Polar Bears wrap up play at the Russ Matt Invitational Saturday at 9 a.m. against Albion (Mich.).