DETROIT, Michigan – Ohio Dominican's baseball team entered the day just one game back of Wayne State for second place in the GLIAC standings, but two big scoring innings, including a 13-run first inning outburst in game one and a six-run second inning in game two, lifted the Warriors past the Panthers, 15-4 and 11-5 at WSU Baseball Field on Saturday.

With the setbacks, ODU falls to 12-17 and 9-9 in the GLIAC, while Wayne State strengthens its hold on second, improving to 12-6 in the conference and 20-10 overall.

From the opening pitch, the Panthers found themselves having to dig out of a hole, particularly in game one as the Warriors exploded for 13 runs on six hits, including a two-run triple and three-run homerun, and five walks. Sophomore Nick Venditti (Brecksville, OH) came on in relief for the final 5.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs, while scattering seven hits, but ODU never recovered from the early deficit.

The Panthers finished with four runs on eight hits with a pair of runs coming in both the second and seventh frames. After a Bryan Rudolph (Fr./Pickerington, OH) single in the top of the second, John Bowron (Jr./Dayton, OH) got ODU in board with his first long ball of the year, a two-run shot to left field. JT Feldkamp (Sr./Lorain, OH) added the other two runs with a homer to left, his third hit of the game and second homer of the season, in the seventh that scored Billy Tecklenburg (Jr./Troy, OH).

Game two got off to a similar start as Wayne State, fueled by five hits, including a three-run homer to right center, sent six runs across in the bottom of the second. The Panthers rallied to close within 6-2 as Feldkamp had an RBI groundout in the top of the third and Nick DiNello (So./Boardman, OH) hit an RBI double to left center in the fourth

The Warriors added two more runs in the fourth, but ODU rallied off three in the top of the fifth, pulling within 8-5. Following a walk by Felix Brown (Sr./ Philipsburg, St. Maarten), Feldkamp blasted his second homer of the day, this time to right center, and Bobby Franks (Jr./Portage, MI) hit an RBI single to center, scoring Rudolph after he reached on a one-out walk.

Wayne State countered with three insurance runs in a three-hit sixth inning to seal the victory.

Feldkamp finished the day 4-for-6 with five RBI and two runs scored on two homeruns.

The teams will square off tomorrow in the final day of the series with a 12 p.m. start slated for game one of the doubleheader.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu