Baseball splits doubleheader with Utica (N.Y.) by identical 7-3 scores

By Wes Mayberry

DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Ohio Northern baseball team continued its spring break schedule on Tuesday by splitting a pair of seven-inning games with Utica (N.Y.) at Lake Myrtle Park.

The Polar Bears (6-4 overall) won 7-3 in the second game after the Pioneers (6-2 overall) took the opener by the same score.

Sophomore Joey Kennedy (Sterling Heights, Mich./Foley Catholic) led Northern with a three-hit outing, including a double, to go with two runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI in Game 2.

Freshman Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) had a home run, and senior Vinny Sclafani (Oak Brook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) added a pair of doubles.

Sophomore Kyle Lawrence (Valparaiso, Ind.) earned the win on the mound for ONU after pitching five innings and giving up three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three.

Sophomore Vaughn Duncan (Springfield) earned his third save of the season after pitching a scoreless final two frames, allowing just one walk while recording three strikeouts.

Jason Story led the Utica offense with a double and two RBIs in the game.

A three-run second inning gave Utica an early lead in Game 2 before the Polar Bears rallied with one run in the third and two each in the fifth and sixth frames.

Kennedy led off the bottom of the third with a double and later scored when a Pioneer error allowed fifth-year senior Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian) to reach base.

Northern plated two more runs in the fourth courtesy of a solo homer from Armstrong and a single from Kennedy that tied the score.

A sac fly from senior Jacob Wenning (Coldwater) and RBI double from Sclafani put ONU up 5-3 in the fifth inning, and the Polar Bears added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth via a sac fly from junior Logan Stevens (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) and an RBI single from McMann.

A six-run third inning spurred the Pioneers to victory in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Kennedy and sophomore Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) notched a team-best two hits, including a double, in the game for ONU.

Stechschulte added an RBI and stolen base to his stat line.

Dom Fasolo paced the Pioneer offense with three hits, including a double, and John Longeretta had two RBIs.

James Roeschlaub pitched all seven innings for Utica and tallied four strikeouts in the victory.

The Polar Bears return to action on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. against Cornell (Iowa) for the eighth of their 12-game spring break schedule.