Wieland strikes out 14 in Ohio Northern's season opener

WINTER PARK, Fla. — Senior left-hander Drew Wieland struck out a career-high 14 batters but the Ohio Northern baseball team let a late lead slip away as it fell to Emory & Henry (Va.) 10-9 Monday afternoon.

The Polar Bears (0-1) drop their season opener despite pounding out 16 hits and hitting .500 (8-for-16) with runners in scoring position.

With the win, the Wasps improve to 3-4 on the season.

Wieland, making his first collegiate start, went seven strong innings, striking out 14 while allowing four runs on eight hits and walking three.

He becomes the first Polar Bear since April, 2, 1994 when All-American Brett Roehm struck out 14 in a single game.

Offensively, freshman Chris Sobieray, playing in his first collegiate game, was 4-for-5 with four singles, three RBIs, and a run scored.

Sophomores Loren Fleischman and Drew Robinson each had three hits while freshman Erik Stegman and sophomore Greg Gibbons each chipped in with two hits and two runs scored.

Gibbons also drove in a pair of runs while swiping three bases.

E&H struck first with back-to-back doubles by Bucky Mann and Marc Ailstock to plate a pair of runs in the top of the first.

ONU answered with a run in the bottom of the first as Sobieray scored on a Robinson RBI single.

With the Wasps up 2-1, ONU scored two in the second and three more in the third to open up a 6-2 lead.

A pair of RBI singles by Gibbons and sophomore Brett Katana accounted for the two runs in the second while Stegman chipped in with a run-scoring single followed by a two-run single from Sobieray to score the three runs in the third inning.

All three runs in the third were scored after two-men were out.

Junior Gavin Haynes' single in the top of the sixth plated two Emory & Henry runs to pull the Wasps within two a 6-4.

After a Fleischman single, Robinson connected on his second run-scoring hit of the day to extend the Northern lead to 7-4 at the end of six.

Three hits led to two Emory & Henry runs in the top of the eighth and a clutch two-out bases-clearing double by Mann in the top of the ninth plated another three runs to give the Wasps a 10-7 advantage.

ONU got two runs back in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run double by Gibbons but he was erased in a run down and Emory & Henry would hold on for the one-run victory.

E&H's 2-3-4 hitters, Haynes, Mann, and Ailstock each had at least two hits and drove in three runs on the day.

Senior George Harrington started the game for the Wasps and went three innings and allowed six runs on ten hits.

He gave way to Codie Mitchell (1-0) who went to final six innings to pick up the win.

Robinson (0-1) pitched the ninth for ONU and allowed four runs on two hits to pick up his first loss of the season.

The Polar Bears continue their Florida trip with a double-header Tuesday against Johnson & Wales (R.I.). The first game will begin at 9 am.