Baseball hangs on for 6-5 victory over Concordia (Ill.)

By Tim Glon

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Ohio Northern baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-2 lead, then held on for a 6-5 victory over Concordia (Ill.) on Wednesday at Lake Myrtle Field #1.

The Polar Bears improve to 1-4, while the Cougars fall to 3-5.

Northern broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the home half of the eighth, using three walks and two base hits.

Senior Sam Zeleznik (Hinckley/Highland) started the rally with a walk and later scored on a ground ball by freshman Joey Kennedy (Sterling Heights, Mich./Foley Catholic), who was safe on a fielder's choice as CC tried to throw out Zeleznik at the plate.

Kennedy came around to score on a bases loaded walk by senior Nate Webb (Bath, Ind./Union County) to make it 2-0.

Junior Jacob Wenning (Coldwater) followed with an RBI ground out to score sophomore Dakota Durick (New Castle, Ind.)

Senior Chayten Overholt (Delphos/Lincolnview) capped the rally with a single to right field and it was 6-2.

But the Cougars scored three times and had the bases loaded with only one out in the top of the ninth, but freshman Blake Peterson (Belle Center/Ben Logan) got a strikeout and a ground out the slam the door on ONU's first victory of the season to pick up his first collegiate save.

Freshman Kyle Lawrence (Valparaiso, Ind.) struck out eight batters in five innings of work and freshman Vaughn Duncan (Springboro) got his first collegiate victory by pitching 2.0 innings of relief.

The Polar Bears will return to action Friday with a 1:30 pm contest against LaRoche (Pa.) at Lake Myrtle Park Field #4.