ONU drops double header to Mount Union in OAC opener

ADA — The Ohio Northern baseball team dropped a pair of games to Mount Union in the Ohio Athletic Conference openers for both teams on Saturday at Wander Field.

Paul Mariotti pitched a complete game four-hitter for the Purple Raiders in a 6-3 MUC victory in Game 1. I

n Game 2, Mount Union withstood a ninth-inning ONU charge to hold on for a 7-6 victory.

The Purple Raiders improved to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the OAC, while the Polar Bears dropped to 8-13 and 0-2 in the OAC. Drew Wieland went 6 2/3 innings and had seven strikeouts to fall to 1-3 after the Game 1 loss, while Mariotti went seven innings and gave up three earned runs to improve to 3-0.

Mount Union struck first in Game 1.

Andy Warner singled to right field which scored Craig Knott to give Mount Union a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Northern tied the game when sophomore Brandon Aselage hit a single to score freshman Adam Grof.

Two batters later, sophomore Chris Sobieray hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory that scored sophomore Brandon Hubbard to give ONU a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

The Purple Raiders answered right back when Greg Ferrel ripped a double to left center in the top of third to score Craig Knott.

A batter later, Warner hit a single to center field that scored Knott.

In the fourth, MUC added to its lead when Jon Schulz led off with a solo home run to left center to make the score 4-2.

Northern scored its final run in the fourth when sophomore Loren Fleischman hit a sacrifice fly to score Aselage to bring the Polar Bears within a run.

Mount Union added a pair of runs in the final two innings, as well.

Knott went 4-for-4, while Warner had three hits and three RBIs for the Purple Raiders and Game 1.

Northern rallied from being down six runs in Game 2.

Warner hit a two-run dinger to give the Purple Raiders a commanding 5-1 lead in the fifth and Grant Sevek made the score 7-1 with an RBI double in the sixth.

Gibbons hit a two-run single in the sixth to bring ONU within four runs, 7-3.

The Polar Bears rallied in the ninth and had the winning run on base.

Back-to-back errors advanced Gibbons home and made the score 7-4.

Sobieray then scored after MUC pitcher Steve Hustack walked Grof with the bases loaded.

Freshman Erik Stegman hit a sacrifice fly that scored Katana to bring ONU within one run with two outs, but sophomore Regan Teague grounded out right back to Hustak to end the game.

Hubbard tied the game 1-1 with a his second home run of the season in the second inning.

ONU loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, but three straight Polar Bear outs ended the threat.

Warner had six RBIs and five hits for the Purple Raiders on the day.

Freshman Andy Zaebst made his first career start for ONU and went 4 2/3 innings giving up five hits and five earned runs.

MUC's Brett Thomas improved to 3-0 on the season by going eight innings and giving up three earned runs in Game 2.

Ohio Northern returns to action this Tuesday when it hosts Defiance at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Wander Field.