WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Ohio Dominican's pitchers combined to hold Northwood to three runs on nine hits as the Panthers swept a non-conference doubleheader from the Timberwolves (6-1 and 8-2) Wednesday at the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational.

ODU snapped a four-game skid with the wins and improved to 5-4 on the spring, while Northwood fell to 5-5.

Senior Ryan Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) sparkled in the opener, tossing the best game of his career with the Panthers. He went the distance, allowing just two hits and one unearned run. He walked two and struck out two and needed just 90 pitches to complete the game.

Junior Ryan Colegate (Centerville, Ohio) was just as impressive in game two. The right hander worked six innings, allowing four hits and one run. He also walked two and struck out two as he improved to 2-0 this spring.

In the first game, ODU did all of its scoring in the first two innings. Junior Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) and Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) each had RBI singles to center, senior Ronn Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) had an RBI groundout and Justin Childers had an RBI single to stake ODU to a 4-0 lead in the first.

The Panthers scored two more runs in the second as sophomore Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio) scored after a Northwood error and senior Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) had an RBI on a fielder's choice grounder that brought home freshman Jacob Tisevich (North Canton, Ohio).

That proved to be all of the support that Ryan Bidwell needed on the rubber. Northwood managed just one unearned run in the fifth and did not have a runner reach scoring position in any of the other six frames. It was the second complete game of his career and the first in which he emerged as the winning pitcher.

Sponseller went 2-for-3 to pace the offense in the win.

Game two played out much the same as the opener, with the Panthers scoring six runs in the first two frames.

Fitzgerald had a two run double in the first inning to start the scoring, then had another RBI double in the second to cap a four run inning and give the Panthers a 6-0 lead.

Tisdale had an RBI double and Sponseller followed with a run-scoring single to make it 8-1 in the fourth, and Northwood managed just one more run in the seventh.

Fitzgerald finished 2-for-4 with the three RBI to lead the offense while Tisevich and sophomore Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) each had an RBI to help the offense.

Fitzgerald now has a team-best 10 RBI to start the season, and Tisdale has hits in eight of the nine games ODU has played this spring.

Ohio Dominican takes on Wayne State (Neb.) for the second time this week at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu