COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's offense scored early and often as the Panthers took game two of a GLIAC doubleheader from Lake Erie by a 14-9 score. The Panthers rebounded from a 6-3 setback in the opener to the Storm.

With the split, ODU now stands at 17-15 (9-11 GLIAC), while the Storm is 13-15 (10-10 GLIAC).

The 14 runs in game two was a season-best for the Panthers, while the 15 hits ODU tallied were the third most. It's the sixth consecutive game ODU recorded at least 10 hits.

Freshman Jacob Tisevich (North Canton, Ohio) helped ignite the offense with a three-run homer to left in the second, capping off a five run inning. He finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored as he also doubled and tripled in the game.

Freshman Lee Sponseller (Mason, Oho) went 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs and two RBI, and freshman Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) also recorded three hits and two RBI in the win.

Leading 5-2 in the third, freshman Max Banke (Oakwood, Ohio) battled from a 1-2 count to hit a two-run single up the middle, and senior Ronn Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) followed with an RBI basehit to make it 8-2.

ODU seemingly broke the game completely open with a four-run fourth inning. Tisevich doubled to start the inning and scored on a basehit by senior Marcus Schluessler (Zanesville, Ohio). Sponseller and Childers each followed with RBI singles, and Sponseller scored on a wild pitch to give ODU a 12-2 lead.

Lake Erie made it 12-6 in the fifth, but a two-out, two-run double by Sponseller put the Panthers in front 14-6.

The Storm countered with three runs in the sixth inning, but freshman Tyler Magley (Baltimore, Ohio) induced a foul out to Bidwell behind home plate to end another scoring threat. Magley then retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings and allowed just one basehit in the ninth to seal the victory for ODU.

The right hander picked up his second win with 4.1 innings of relief, his second longest outing of the season, and allowed just three hits and two earned runs.

Senior Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) also had two hits and scored twice for the Panthers in the win.

The timely hits did not come for the Panthers in the opener, though. ODU outhit Lake Erie 12-7, but the Panthers stranded 11 runners on base in the 6-3 defeat.

A three-run homer in the second inning helped stake the Storm to a 4-0 lead. Banke's RBI single to left center cut it to 4-1 in the bottom of the inning, but a two-out, two-run double down the left field line put the Storm in front 6-1 going to the bottom of the third.

The Panthers stranded two runners in the third and fourth innings before picking up a run on Sponseller's RBI single in the fifth. ODU would leave two more aboard in the sixth and scored a run on a Childers RBI single in the seventh, but again left two more runners aboard in the final frame.

Junior Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Schluessler and Banke each went 2-for-4.

Overall, the Panthers finished with 27 hits on the day, with seven players registering at least three hits, and four players knocking in three runs apiece.

The Panthers and Storm will conclude their four game series with a doubleheader starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday at Panther Valley.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu