Box Score CANTON, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's baseball team let an early 4-0 lead slip away and had any chance of a comeback halted by thunderstorms in Stark County as the Panthers fell 7-6 to Malone in a five inning game at Thurman Munson Stadium.
Inclement weather wreaked havoc on the afternoon's plans, as the two teams were originally scheduled to play two seven inning games starting at 1. That was changed to a single nine inning game, with a 3:30 p.m. first pitch after the first round of storms cleared out.
Ohio Dominican (12-17, 8-7 GLIAC) jumped to a quick start, as sophomore Marcus Schluessler (Zanesville, Ohio), senior Ryan Rovnak (Poland, Ohio) and junior Jossue Delgado (Barinas, Venezuela) each drew walks to begin the game. Sophomore Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) then delivered a two-run single to left-center to score Schluessler and Rovnak. Tisdale would then come in to score later in the inning to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
ODU knocked in another run in the second as Schluessler reached on an error, stole second and came in to score on Rovnak's RBI basehit to center to make it 4-0.
Malone (11-18, 4-12 GLIAC) put up a run in both the second and third innings to cut the lead in half, but ODU answered in the fourth with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rovnak, which scored sophomore Vince Bartolone (Broadview Heights, Ohio).
The Pioneers roared back with five runs in the bottom half, though, scoring three times with two outs to take a 7-5 lead after an ODU throwing error helped keep the inning alive.
Freshman Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio) then singled with one out in the fifth and came in to score on an RBI double by junior Anthony Raschilla (Girard, Ohio), but the Panthers would strand two runners on base in the inning. After Malone batted in the bottom half, the game was halted due to the storms.
Malone finished with nine hits to ODU's five, and the Panthers committed three errors in the setback.
Ohio Dominican remains on the road for a three-game series at Findlay on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu
