Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay baseball team put together a memorable two games on Sunday, March 22, earning a pair of walk off wins against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers to sweep the four game series. The Oilers won the day's opener 3-2 with a single run in the seventh before needing a four-run ninth to end Game 2 by a score of 6-5. The wins mark seven straight victories for the Oilers who are now 15-9 overall and 7-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). KWC falls to 12-14 overall and 2-6 in the league with the losses.
Game 1 (W 3-2)
In the opener, Findlay struck first with a single run in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Kentucky Wesleyan responded in the middle innings, pushing across a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 advantage. The Oilers quickly answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, evening the score at 2-2.
The contest remained a deadlocked battle until the bottom of the seventh inning. Needing a run to win it, freshman Drew Tucker walked and stole second. After an intentional walk, junior Luke Senften delivered, ripping a 2-2 pitch back up the middle for a walk off single.
Junior Aidan Kiessling started and turned in a strong performance to keep the game within reach, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out six. Senior Connor Evanich came in relief to earn the win, allowing just three hits and no runs in 2.2 innings of work.
Offensively, Senften and sophomore Mason Myers led the way with a couple of hits, including a double, each. Tucker, hitting at the top of the lineup, set the table all day, drawing three walks and going 1-for-2.
Game 2 (W 6-5)
The late-game heroics carried over into the second game of the day, as Findlay erased a multi-run deficit in the final inning to secure the series sweep. Kentucky Wesleyan built an early advantage, scoring two runs in the third inning and adding two more in the fifth. Despite the Oilers getting on the board with two runs in the sixth, the Panthers tacked on an insurance run in the seventh to carry a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Refusing to go down quietly, the Findlay offense mounted a massive four-run rally in the final frame. Sophomore Isaac Ramos sparked the comeback with a leadoff walk, and senior Mike Sciortino quickly followed by ripping a double down the left-field line, putting two runners in scoring position. After a fly out, the Oilers turned to senior Casey Maruniak. With the game on the line, Maruniak delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon, crushing a clutch two-out double to tie the game at 5-5 and send the dugout into a frenzy. Moments later, the Oilers pushed across the game-winning run on a single by Mason Myers, completing the 6-5 walk-off victory.
Junior starter David Jimenez tossed 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out two. Sophomore Camdon Tuttle was the winning pitcher for Findlay and put together his best outing of the year. He threw 2.2 innings, working quickly through those frames. The preseason all-American did not allow a hit and struck out five of the nine batters he faced.
At the plate, Senften was 3-for-4 with a run scored while Myers and Booth each collected a pair of hits.
Findlay will be on the road on Wednesday, March 25 for a single game against the Division I Bowling Green State University Falcons. That game starts at 3:00 pm.
