TIFFIN, Ohio -- Powered by nine RBIs from
Eric DeVore, the Heidelberg University baseball team picked up a critical sweep of John Carroll University on Sunday. The Berg squeaked out a 7-6 win in the opener, then walloped the Blue Streaks in the night cap, 15-2.
Heidelberg improved to 18-12-1 overall, 15-11-1 in the OAC standings. With two weekends remaining in the regular season, the battle for one of six spots in the OAC tournament is heating up. As a reminder, the playoff picture is determined by a formula that factors in a team's winning percentage and their opponent's winning percentage.
DeVore drove in nine on the day, going 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles.
Marc Ochoa was a perfect 5-for-5 with three doubles, three runs and three RBI.
Keaton Mark also had five hits on the day.
GAME ONE: BERG 7 JCU 6
DeVore lifted a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the first, scoring
Zach Doran, to give HU an early advantage.
In the second,
Elliot Kurtz socked his first collegiate home run -- a solo blast to left center.
JCU tied the game in the fifth with a pair of runs, but Heidelberg bounced back quickly.
Cayden Rollins and Ochoa singled and scored on a double to right by DeVore.
The Blue Streaks, however, answered right back. They plated three runs in the top of the sixth and took a 5-4 lead.
The Tricolor regained the lead in the seventh. Rollins doubled to center and Mark singled to right to start the inning. After a pitching change, Ochoa doubled down the left field line, driving in Rollins. DeVore followed with a single through the left side that drove in two.
JCU hit a solo homer in the ninth, but
Cameron Deemer nailed down the game with a 5-4-3 double play to end it. Deemer picked up his third save of the year.
Zane Mirgon (3-1) got the win in relief of starter
Ryan Hackworth. Mirgon allowed no runs on three hits in two innings of work.
GAME TWO: BERG 15 JCU 2 (7 innings)
As they did in game one, Heidelberg played from in front in the nightcap. Doran singled to start the bottom of the first, moved to second on a passed ball, then stole third. He trotted home on a single by Rollins. After a double by Mark, Ochoa drove in two with a single through the right side.
JCU answered with a run in the second. After an infield single put a runner on, Rollins tried to make a diving catch in center, but came up empty. The ball rolled into deep center field, where it was retrieved by Mark. Mark fired to Doran, whose relay throw home cut down the batter trying to score an inside the park home run.
Buoyed by the strong defensive play, HU tacked on five runs in the bottom of the inning. HU scored on a throwing error on a stolen base by Rollins, who then scored on a double by Mark. A walk and a double steal put runners in scoring position for DeVore. DeVore did what DeVore does -- delivering a two-run double to deep center. He scored on a single to left by
Deaunte Fleming.
Fleming added a sac fly in the fourth, driving in Mark -- giving HU a 9-1 lead.
Three walks and a hit batsman pushed another run across in the fifth, and left the bases loaded for DeVore -- an unwise decision. DeVore hit a line-drive single to center that scored two.
After JCU added a run in the sixth, The Tricolor tacked on three more for good measure. Pinch hitter
Aidan Corrigan walked and moved to third on a double by pinch hitter
Jake Vanek. Following a pitching change, Doran drove in both with a triple to center. Rollins closed the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Brady Knizner picked up the win with a five-inning performance. He struck out five and issued three hits.
Ryan Keane threw two innings of hitless relief, striking out two.
UP NEXT:
Heidelberg and Marietta will reignite their rivalry with a four-game weekend set. Saturday is in Tiffin and Sunday is at Marietta. Both twinbills are slated for 1 p.m. starts.
