WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Ohio Dominican's baseball team pushed across the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning and held on late to take a 3-2 win over Kentucky Wesleyan Monday morning at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

The victory was the Panthers' third in a row on the spring trip and moved ODU to 5-2 on the season. Kentucky Wesleyan fell to 3-5.

Panther hurlers issued nine walks in the game but just four hits and stranded 11 KWC runners on base. ODU finished with nine hits of its own, led by two hits apiece from junior Ryan Rovnak (Poland, Ohio), freshman Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Christian Prince (Hudsonville, Mich.).

Freshman Austin Bueter (Wauseon, Ohio) made his first start of the year and went 5.1 innings, allowing one unearned run. He allowed two hits, walked five and struck out two. Classmate Alberto Canales (West Park, Fla.) picked up the win with 1.1 innings of relief, allowing one run, while senior Erik Lamka (Troy, Ohio) picked up his first save with a shutout ninth.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Bryan Rudolph (Pickerington, Ohio) singled and stole second with one out. Tisdale singled to put runners on the corners, and after a strikeout, Prince came through with a two-out hit, singling to score Rudolph. Senior John Bowron (Dayton, Ohio) then continued his torrid start to the season with an RBI baseknock that scored Tisdale to put the Panthers on top 3-1.

Kentucky Wesleyan loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and a single into left scored one run and had a chance to tie it, but Rudolph's relay throw from left found Rovnak, and he cut down the tying run at the plate.

KWC had another scoring opportunity in the eighth, again loading the bases, but freshman Vince Bartolone (Broadview Heights, Ohio) escaped trouble as Kentucky Wesleyan lined into a double play.

After the Panthers stranded a runner at second in the eighth, Lamka came on to close in the ninth. He issued a walk with one out, but ended the game with consecutive fly outs.

ODU scored its first run in the third as the Panthers loaded the bases, with senior Evan Shaw (Delaware, Ohio) walking, Rovnak singling and freshman Chase Westphal (Brecksville, Ohio) getting hit by a pitch. Rudolph scored Shaw with an RBI groundout to put ODU in front 1-0.

Kentucky Wesleyan would tie the game at one in the fifth with a bases loaded walk, but left them stranded as Bueter induced a groundout to end the frame.

The Panthers, who have won three of four on their spring trip, take on West Chester at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu