Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team battled with the #7 Ashland University Eagles on Saturday, April 27 at The Cube and came away with a doubleheader split. Ashland won the first game by a score of 7-6, but it was the Oilers who came away victorious in the nightcap, winning 11-7. With today's results, Findlay is now 23-19 overall with a 17-9 record in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) while Ashland moves to 35-8 overall and 21-5 in the league.
Findlay's win in the second game is the first time in two years that UF has beaten a top-ten team in the country, but is just the third time that has happened since 2010. The last wins came in April, 2022 when the Oilers knocked off the #7 Trevecca Nazarene Trojans twice in a series.
Game 1 (L 7-6)
With a stiff wind blowing straight towards the outfield, a pitcher's dual was seemingly not in the cards, but early on that is exactly what the first game delivered.
Findlay starter Logan Bragg was perfect through four innings, not allowing a single baserunner, while Ashland's starter held the Oilers scoreless through four innings, allowing just four hits.
It was not until the top of the fifth that the Eagles, which lead the G-MAC in batting average as a team, finally got someone on base. With two outs, a single put a runner on first and the next batter went deep to center field, a two-run home run that gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. Another home run, this one of the three-run variety, in the sixth made the score 5-0.
Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Oilers began to chip away, scoring two runs in the inning. But, by the start of the ninth and final inning, Findlay still faced a 7-2 margin.
A one-out, solo home run in the ninth by senior Andrew Micale, his 100th career hit and first home run of the year, sparked some life into the home dugout. Back-to-back singles and a fielder's choice plated another run, but the score was still 7-4 with two outs. Two batters later, senior Cole Kwiatkowski launched a two-run blast over the wall in left to make the score 7-6, but after a pitching change, a strikeout ended the comeback bid.
Bragg suffered the loss to fall to 4-4 on the year. He threw eight innings and allowed six runs on ten hits, walking one and striking out four.
Game 2 (W 11-7)
Despite the loss in the opener, the Oilers had built some momentum heading into the second game, and that was evident early on as Ashland took a quick 1-0 lead, but that was made null on a big fly by senior Aiden Lao, tying the game.
Ashland scored a single run in the second, but in the bottom half of the inning, Findlay loaded the bases with not outs and went on to score four runs. A single run in the third made the score 6-2 in favor of the home team.
But the Eagles did not go away quietly, tying the game at 6-6 with four runs on five hits in the fourth, forcing a Findlay pitching change.
A two-run home run by Kwiatkowski in the fourth, his fourth of the season and second of the day, put the Oilers ahead 8-6.
Leading 9-7 in the middle of the sixth, the exclamation point came on a two-run home run by senior Nate Brooks, giving the Oilers a comfortable 11-7 lead, one they would not relinquish.
Coming out of the bullpen, senior Sebastian Jones got the win. He tossed four innings of relief and allowed just one run on one hit. He walked two and struck out five.
Brooks had a standout day at the plate, going 6-for-8 with a double, a home run, two RBI, and four runs scored. Senior Aiden Lao had four hits, including a home run, four RBI, and four runs scored while freshman Nick Palm had four hits, two RBI, and a run scored.
Kwiatkowski picked up three hits, two of which were home runs, four RBI and two runs scored.
The Oilers are back in action against Ashland tomorrow, Sunday, April 28. The doubleheader will begin at 1:00 pm with Senior Day festivities taking place prior to the start of the games.
