Wingate, N.C. – The University of Findlay baseball team got behind early and could not stop the bleeding as the Oilers dropped a 13-3 affair on Sunday, Feb. 25 against the Landers University Bearcats. That defeat gives Findlay, which has now dropped six straight, a 1-6 record early in the 2024 campaign while Lander improves to 10-4.
The Bearcats got on the board early, as has been the case for the Oilers' opposition to this point. So far in seven games in 2024, Findlay has been outscored 16-2 in the first inning of play. In the top of the first, Lander plated a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first, sophomore Keelan Daniel hit a one-out triple to left center and the next batter, senior Aiden Lao, singled to right center, making the score 2-1.
Two innings later, the Bearcats took control of the contest, scoring four runs on just two hits in the top of the third. Much of that damage was thanks to free bases as Lander was aided by a hit by pitch and four walks, one of which was intentional. After the dust had settled, Findlay's starter, freshman David Jimenez, was knocked out of the game and the Oilers faced a 6-1 deficit. Another run in the fourth made it 7-1.
The Oilers did piece some hits together in the fifth to score two more runs, but four in the seventh and two more in the ninth by the Bearcats put this one well out of reach as the Orange and Black came up on the short end of a 13-3 defeat.
Jimenez took the loss on the hill to fall to 0-2 in two starts this season. On Sunday he went 2.2 innings and allowed six runs on three hits. He walked seven, including the intentional walk, hit a batter, and struck out three in 18 batters faced. Freshman Aidan Kiessling was first out of the bullpen and threw five innings, allowing five runs on five hits. He walked six and hit two batters.
Keelan Daniel was the offensive leader, picking up three hits, including a double and a triple, in four at-bats. He scored two runs. Aiden Lao had a pair of hits while senior Cam Farrar and sophomore Andrew Williams each picked up a single.
Findlay now has a day off before taking on Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina on Tuesday, Feb. 27. First pitch for that contest will be at 3 pm.
