PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Down early, the resilient Heidelberg University baseball team emerged victorious in a back-and-forth battle against St. John's University, 12-9, in 13 innings. The game was HU's longest since a 6-5 win in 13 innings to start the 2021 season at Ohio Northern.
Heidelberg tallied 22 hits on the day, the most in a game since a 27-hit outburst against Oberlin in April, 2018.
Keaton Mark finished with five hits and two RBI -- Heidelberg's first five-hit performance since
Marc Ochoa had five against Capital in the final game of the 2019 regular season.
For the second straight day, the Student Princes fell behind early. The Johnnies scored five in the first, which included a grand slam.
Heidelberg (4-4) scratched a run across in the top of the second.
Adam McVicker was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by
Aidan Corrigan.
Seth Scoville singled to right, scoring McVicker.
The Berg inched closer in the third when
Eric DeVore singled in
Robert Hunt. St. John's responded with another run in the bottom of the frame.
The score remained 6-2 into the sixth inning.
Aidan Corrigan drove in McVicker with a single to center. An errant throw on a double steal allowed Corrigan and
Deaunte Fleming to score, cutting the deficit to one.
Sam Runyan and Hunt started the seventh with singles.
Keaton Mark followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to tie the game. DeVore put HU on top with a sacrifice fly to right.
St. John's (5-6) trailed 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, but took the lead with two solo home runs.
In the top of the 9th, Mark tied the game with a solo blast to right -- his third of the season.
The game remained knotted at eight until the 12th. DeVore and McVicker were hit with pitches to start the inning. Fleming hit into a fielder's choice that allowed DeVore to saunter to third. Corrigan, noted football and basketball statistician, came through with a single up the middle that scored DeVore.
The lead was short-lived, as the Johnnies tied the game yet again with a one-out home run to right.
Thomas Sauer was hit by a pitch to start the 13th, then moved to second on a single by Mark. DeVore stepped up and delivered a double to left that scored Sauer. With two outs, Fleming tacked on two insurance runs with a base hit to left.
Dylan Matusak (1-0) earned the win in relief. He worked the final two innings, allowing one run on one hit, striking out two. Coincidentally, Matusak earned the win in the 13-inning victory at ONU.
Despite the rocky start,
Ross Thompson went seven full innings. He struck out two.
John Hassler threw 0.1 innings before giving way to
Cayden Rollins. Rollins went 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball.
DeVore, Corrigan and Scoville all racked up three hits.
On Friday, Heidelberg will face Lebanon Valley at 1:30 p.m., looking to avenge the loss on Wednesday.
