Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team concluded a four-game series against the #7 Ashland University Eagles on Sunday, April 28. After a split in yesterday's doubleheader, the two teams each won a game on Sunday, as well, with Ashland taking the opener 7-2, and the Oilers winning the series finale by run-rule, 13-3 in eight innings. With the split, Findlay is now 24-20 overall and 18-10 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play while Ashland moves to 36-9 overall and 22-6 in the league.
Game 1 (L 7-2)
The Eagles got ahead early in the opener as, two pitches into the game, they had already recorded a double and a single, putting runners at the corners. A run would score, but Findlay escaped with the bases loaded and just a 1-0 deficit.
However, three runs in the second, two more in the fourth, and one in the fifth put the visitors ahead 7-0 through five innings. To that point, Findlay had recorded just two hits.
The Oilers picked off single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but it was not enough as Ashland went on to the five-run victory. Findlay was outhit 15-5 in the contest.
Sophomore starter Carson Mellott was the losing pitcher, falling to 4-4 on the year. He threw three innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.
With his start in this game, senior Cam Farrar recorded his 195th career game played, a new University of Findlay record. He passes Ben Shelton who played 194 games from 2004-08.
Game 2 (W 13-3)
Now needing a win to earn a series split, the Oilers trailed 1-0 after the top of the first, but a leadoff walk to senior Aiden Lao and home run by senior Cam Farrar quickly put the home team back on top. That blast to right field was the 40th of Farrar's career, making him the first player in G-MAC and program history to reach that mark.
Findlay took a 3-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by freshman Luke Senften, but back-to-back home runs by the Eagles in the next half inning, the top of the fourth, tied the game up at three.
Momentum turned towards the home team in the fourth. A pair of throwing errors allowed the first two runs of the inning to score, and a double by senior Nate Brooks let in a third.
Now leading 6-3, the Oilers began to pile on. In the bottom of the sixth, a double by Lao and home run by senior Cole Kwiatkowski made the score 8-3. An RBI single by Senften and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to sophomore Keelan Daniel brought in two more.
In the seventh, Farrar blasted a second home run of the game, making the score 11-3 and then in the eighth, needed two runs to end the game via run-rule, Daniel singled home senior Andrew Micale, and then scored on a double to right center by Lao, ending the game in walkoff fashion at 13-3.
Sophomore Ethan Mohr was the winning pitcher, tossing seven innings and allowing just three runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Farrar led the offense on the day, picking up four hits in six at-bats including a pair of home runs. He had four RBI and four runs scored in the doubleheader. Lao had three hits, including two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored while freshman Nick Palm, Brooks, Senften, and sophomore Casey Maruniak each had two hits to their credit.
The Oilers will wrap up the regular season next weekend, Friday and Saturday, May 3-4 with a four-game series against the Lake Erie College Storm.
