COLUMBUS, Ohio – After the offense carried Ohio Dominican's baseball team on Saturday, the pitching staff carried the weight on Sunday as the Panthers swept a GLIAC doubleheader from Lake Erie, winning by scores of 3-1 and 5-1.

The trio of junior Ryan Colegate (Centerville, Ohio), freshman Joe Filosa (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and senior Vince Bartolone (Broadview Heights, Ohio) combined to hold the Storm to two runs on 10 hits in the 16 inning doubleheader. They combined to throw 120 of their 190 pitches for strikes (63.2 percent) and allowed just two extra base hits.

Colegate went the distance in the opener, allowing five hits and one run. He struck out three, walked just one, and threw 57 of his 88 pitches for strikes. The right hander also induced three double play grounders to help get out of trouble.

Filosa, meanwhile, blanked Lake Erie until the seventh inning in game two. He worked six-plus innings, allowing four hits and just the one run, and threw 42 of his 66 pitches for strikes. Bartolone then relieved in the seventh and tossed the final three frames, allowing just one hit, in earning his fourth save.

ODU, winners in five of their past six ballgames, improved to 19-15 (11-11 GLIAC), while the Storm dropped to 13-17 (10-12 GLIAC).

The Panthers scored all three of their runs in the opener in the fourth inning. Trailing 1-0 and with two outs in the inning, senior Marcus Schluessler (Zanesville, Ohio) doubled down the left field line to score freshman Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) and tie the game.

Freshman Max Banke (Oakwood, Ohio) then blooped a single over first base and down the right field line, scoring Schluessler and freshman Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

Colegate allowed a baserunner in the fifth inning, but no trouble, and a pair of double plays in the sixth and seventh inning helped close out the game.

Colegate improved to 6-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.95 on the year. It was his second complete game of the year.

Filosa pitched just as well in game two. He allowed just four hits and one run in his six innings as he improved to 4-2 on the season.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when sophomore Kyle Burson (Brecksville, Ohio) hit a two-out single to left-center field to score Childers.

ODU earned some separation in the sixth. Schluessler singled, Sponseller was intentionally walked and senior Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) also walked to load the bases. A fielder's choice grounder brought in Schluessler, and consecutive singles by Banke and senior Ronn Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) would plate the other two runners to put the Panthers on top 4-0.

Lake Erie scored once in the seventh, but Bartolone got a double play and a line out to end the inning. He issued two walks in the eighth inning, but a fielder's choice grounder ended that threat, and the Panthers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on Childers' bloop RBI double between the second baseman and right fielder, scoring Sponseller.

Childers went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the offense in the win.

Ohio Dominican plays host to Wayne State in a non-conference game at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Panther Valley.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu