Altaffer throws complete-game 5-hitter in first career start as Baseball defeats Cornell (Iowa) 3-1 on spring break trip

By Tim Glon

AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Sophomore Blake Altaffer (Montpelier) threw a complete-game 5-hitter on Wednesday afternoon, leading the Ohio Northern baseball team to a 3-1 victory over Cornell (Iowa) at Lake Myrtle Park.

The Polar Bears improve to 7-4, while the Rams fall to 6-3.

In his first collegiate start, Altaffer (1-0) struck out eight and allowed only a first inning run.

The Rams scored in home half of the first on a double and a single, but would manage only three hits off Altaffer the rest of the way.

In fact, all three of Cornell's base hits and its lone walk ended with the runner being put out on the bases, allowing the sophomore to face the minimum 24 batters in the final eight innings.

Northern grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth as sophomore Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) led off the inning with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Dakota Durick (New Castle, Ind.) and advanced to third on a single by freshman Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity).

Sophomore Joey Kennedy (Sterling Heights, Mich./Foley Catholic) followed with an RBI single to score Stechschulte and tie the game at 1-1.

Reed and Durick advanced one base each on a long fly ball by junior Logan Stevens (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) and Reed scored on a single by senior Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian).

Senior Jacob Wenning (Coldwater) made it 3-1 with a 2-out, RBI single to score Stevens in the top of the seventh.

After an off day on Thursday, the Polar Bears will continue their spring break trip on Friday with a 9:15 am double header against Hamilton (N.Y.)