NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Two commanding pitching performances and a balanced offensive attack helped Ohio Dominican's baseball team sweep a GLIAC doubleheader at Walsh on Saturday, 4-1 and 14-0.

The Panthers have now won seven of eight games and improved to 23-16 (14-12 GLIAC). They moved to fifth place in the GLIAC standings, with several games on Saturday still to be completed, and a half game behind Malone in the South Division standings for second place.

In the opener, junior Ryan Colegate (Centerville, Ohio) improved to 8-1 on the season as he tossed a complete game four hitter. He allowed one unearned run in the second inning, then did not allow another to reach scoring position for the remainder of the game. He struck out seven and walked just one batter in his third complete game of the year.

ODU did not manage a hit until the fourth inning, but it was a solo shot to right center by freshman Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) that tied the game at one. Consecutive doubles by freshman Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) and junior Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead.

An RBI single by Fitzgerald in the sixth inning put the Panthers in front 3-1, and Sponseller's RBI single in the seventh accounted for the final tally of the game.

The Panthers out-hit Walsh 9-4 in the game. Sponseller finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and a walk while Fitzgerald went 2-for-2 with the two RBI and a walk as well.

The win lifted Colegate to 8-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.72.

In game two, freshman Joe Filosa (Fort Wayne, Ind.) shined just as brightly on the mound as Colegate did in the opener. He tossed his first collegiate complete game – this one in nine innings – and allowed just three hits.

The right hander struck out a season high eight batters and has now allowed just three earned runs in his last three starts, spanning 20 innings (1.35 ERA).

The offense, meanwhile, pounded out a season-high 19 hits and tied a season best with its 14 runs. Six Panthers had two or more hits, led by a career-high four hits by sophomore Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio).

ODU took a 3-0 lead into the top of the fourth inning and broke the game open with six runs in that frame. Four straight singles, including RBI basehits from Sponseller and senior Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio), made it 5-0, and junior Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio) cleared the bases with a double to left center. An RBI single to left field by sophomore Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio) capped the inning.

ODU tacked on another run in the eighth and plated four runs in the ninth, as Sponseller and Childers each had RBI singles and senior Ronn Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) hit a two-run triple to right field to close out the scoring.

Childers went 3-for-6, while Horsley, Sponseller, Tisdale and freshman Jacob Tisevich (North Canton, Ohio) each had two hits. Sponseller scored three runs and had two RBI and Horsley and Evans also scored twice. Senior Kyle Suminski (Fraser, Mich.) also had a pair of walks.

The 19 hits are the most for the Panthers since they tallied 22 hits in a 21-4 win over Findlay on March 28, 2012.

The Panthers and Cavaliers will conclude their four game series with a doubleheader at noon on Sunday at Walsh.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu