COLUMBUS, Ohio – A six-run first inning lifted Ohio Dominican's baseball team to an 8-6 victory over Saginaw Valley in GLIAC play Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals led game two of the scheduled doubleheader 5-3 through three innings before the game was called due to inclement weather.

The Panthers took two of three games in the series from Saginaw Valley and are now 14-22 (11-14 GLIAC). The Cardinals dropped to 15-20 (10-13).

After falling behind 2-0 in the opening frame, the Panthers chased SVSU starter Aaron Woods in their first at bat as ODU sent seven to the plate before the first out was recorded. Senior Germaine McAlpine (Canton, Ohio) led off with a walk and went to third on a hit-and-run single that junior Tyler Zaidel (Cincinnati, Ohio) sent through the hole on the right side. Senior Felix Brown (Philipsburg, St. Maarten) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and classmate JT Feldkamp (Lorain, Ohio) delivered a two-run single to center that knotted the game.

ODU's offense kept clicking as freshman Anthony Raschilla (Girard, Ohio) walked and junior Austin Grate (Fort Wayne, Ind.) sent an RBI single through the left side to make it 3-2. Sophomore Zack Dascenzo (Uniontown, Pa.) then deposited a two-run basehit into right-center to put ODU in front 5-2, and a double-play groundout scored Grate to close the six-run inning.

The Cardinals narrowed the gap to 6-4 on a two-run double in the third by Mike VanAlst, but the Panthers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Raschilla led off with a double to the wall in right-center, and Dascenzo followed with a one-out double to make it 7-4. Later, Dascenzo would be thrown out at the plate on a nice throw by right fielder Kyle O'Boyle, but McAlpine would deliver an RBI single to score freshman Bryan Rudolph (Pickerington, Ohio) and rebuild the four-run advantage for ODU.

Sophomore Alex Borgan (Pickerington, Ohio) worked out of trouble in the fourth and fifth innings, aided by a double-play lineout into the glove of Brown at second and a routine fly to junior Evan Shaw (Delaware, Ohio) in center to escape damage in the fifth. The Cardinals scored once in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, and with two outs, sophomore Drew McGlone (Circleville, Ohio) came in and shut the door with a flyout to strand two runners on base.

ODU put two runners on board in the sixth but couldn't tack on any more insurance runs, but senior closer Kyle Gore (Solon, Ohio) was able to nail down the save after allowing one run on a sac fly, sealing the game with a popout to Zaidel onto the grass behind shortstop.

Borgan battled through 5.2 innings to earn the win and improve to 3-4 on the year. He allowed seven hits and five runs and fanned three. Gore's save was his third of the season and 10th of his career.

ODU pounded out 11 hits, with Zaidel – playing for the first time since April 9 with an injury – going 2-for-4, Raschilla 2-for-3 with two runs and Dascenzo 2-for-3 with three RBI.

In the second game, the Cardinals had jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first on the strength of two home runs. The Panthers came back with three runs in the bottom of the third before the rain started to fall and the tarp was brought onto the field. After a 45-minute delay, the game was cancelled and will not be made up.

Also, the team's five seniors – Brown, Feldkamp, Gore, Zane Miller (London, Ohio) and McAlpine – will now be recognized after the team's home finale on Wednesday, May 4 against Lake Erie.

The Panthers play their final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday as ODU travels to Canton, Ohio to take on Walsh at 4 p.m. in a single nine-inning game.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu