Lebanon, IL - The University of Findlay baseball team concluded its weekend series with a doubleheader sweep over McKendree University on Saturday, Feb. 21 in Lebanon, Illinois. The sweep brings the Oilers' record to 4-4 on the year, while the Bearcats fall to 3-6.
Game 1 (W 11-4)
In the opener, Findlay broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning and never looked back, securing an 11-4 victory. The Oilers put up four runs in the top of the fourth inning, added two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and capped the game with a four-run seventh inning.
Senior Casey Maruniak was a standout offensively, hitting a double, scoring three runs, and stealing two bases. Senior Mike Sciortino led the power surge with a home run in the seventh inning, finishing with two hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Senior Keelan Daniel added a double and an RBI for the Oilers.
Sophomore starting pitcher Sebastian Stevens took a no-decision after pitching 3.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. Senior Connor Evanich (1-0) earned the win in relief, tossing 3.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits while striking out two to shut the door on the Bearcats.
Game 2 (W 13-5)
The Oilers carried their offensive momentum into the second game of the doubleheader, racking up 14 hits en route to a 13-5 victory to complete the series sweep.
Findlay jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a leadoff double by senior Nick Palm which was followed by a long ball off the bat of Maruniak.
The offense then exploded for five runs in the third inning which, again, was sparked by Maruniak who led off with a double. Two more doubles in the inning, aided by three walks, led to a crooked number.
Four runs in the fourth blew the game wide open. The Oilers added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to comfortably seal the win.
Maruniak stayed hot, hitting a home run and a double while driving in a pair of runs and stealing a base. Smith also blasted a home run and tallied two RBIs, and Nick Palm contributed a double, two runs scored, a stolen base, and two RBIs. Aiden Booth and Mike Sciortino both added doubles and drove in runs to fuel the explosive offense.
Starting pitcher David Jimenez (1-0) earned the win, turning in a strong performance by pitching 6.0 innings and striking out seven batters while allowing four earned runs. Sophomore Camden Tuttle pitched the final inning in relief to close out the Bearcats and secure the sweep.
Findlay is back in action on Friday, Feb. 27, beginning a four-game series against the Wayne State Warriors, a series that will be played at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
