ADA, Ohio -- Two big rallies went for naught as the Heidelberg University baseball team was swept by Ohio Northern University on Saturday. The Student Princes rallied from a six-run hole to tie the game in the opener -- only to fall 10-9. Rain wiped out a go-ahead rally in the ninth inning in a 4-2 loss in the night cap.
Heidelberg slipped to 10-8, 7-7 OAC
GAME ONE: ONU 10 BERG 9
After spotting the Polar Bears two runs in the bottom of the first, Heidelberg responded in the second.
Cayden Rollins and
Tyler Smith singled, then scored on a three-run home run to left center by
Deaunte Fleming.
Down 3-2, ONU scored two in the second, four in the fourth, and one in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead.
Undeterred, HU battled back in the seventh.
Fleming singled up the middle before
Robert Hunt and
Zach Doran reached on infield singles. With one out,
Keaton Mark launched a grand slam to right. After a pitching change,
Marc Ochoa singled and moved to third on a double by
Eric DeVore. Both scored on a game-tying single up the middle by Rollins.
ONU retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh, with a leadoff walk coming back to burn the Student Princes.
GAME TWO: ONU 4 BERG 2 (8 innings, rain)
The hosts took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, an outburst that included two unearned runs.
Heidelberg got one back in the fourth, plating an unearned run off a throwing error.
The Berg crept closer in the fifth, thanks to a two-out single by
Sam Runyan that scored Ochoa.
ONU scored another run in the bottom half of the fifth, and led 4-2 when the skies opened. The game was delayed for nearly two hours because of rain and lightning.
A light drizzle persisted when play resumed, but grew steadily heavier. Heidelberg took a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth, but unrelenting rain rendered the field unplayable -- with the score reverting to the last completed inning, and wiping out the HU runs.
UP NEXT:
The two sides will run it back on Sunday, albeit a tad earlier than anticipated. The doubleheader in Tiffin will start at 9:30 a.m.
