COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Saturday doubleheader sweep of visiting Findlay by scores of 3-1 and 7-3 assured Ohio Dominican's baseball team of a bid in next week's GLIAC Tournament, the second time that the Panthers have qualified for the tournament.

ODU improved to 27-16 overall and 18-12 in the GLIAC with the victories. The Panthers are currently in a tie for fourth place (with games still being played Saturday) in the conference, and depending on the result of the second Ashland-Wayne State game, are still alive for a chance to earn a claim of the regular season title.

The Panthers last qualified for the GLIAC Tournament in 2013, reaching the championship round on the final day before bowing out.

ODU has now won seven straight games and 11 of its past 12 overall.

In the opener, the Panthers out-hit 9-5 by the Oilers, but took advantage of five Findlay walks and played well defensively to pick up the win.

Senior Kyle Tisdale (Uniontown, Ohio) stroked a two-out basehit down the left field line in the first inning to score classmate Kyle Suminski (Fraser, Mich.), who had walked earlier in the inning. In the second inning, junior Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio) walked and stole second, and Suminski's gapper to left-center scored him to give ODU a 2-0 lead.

ODU scored its third run in the fifth inning. Suminski laced his second double of the day to right-center and would score on Tisdale's bouncer back up the middle to make it 3-0.

Junior Ryan Colegate (Centerville, Ohio) pitched into the seventh inning but exited with two on and one out. A basehit and an RBI groundout brought the Oilers to within 3-1, but the game ended as a pitch scooted away from Tisdale at home plate, but he flipped to senior reliever Vince Bartolone (Broadview Heights, Ohio)  covering the plate to tag out Findlay's Troy Merriman trying to score from third.

A strike 'em out, throw 'em out helped Colegate and the Panthers in the third inning as the Oilers had runners on second and third with nobody out, but Tisdale picked off the runner at third base. The Panthers also turned double plays in the fourth inning and sixth innings and junior right fielder Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) threw out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double in the first inning.

Colegate improved to 9-1 as he tossed those 6.1 innings and was charged with one earned run. He struck out three, walked two and threw just 83 pitches. Bartolone picked up his seventh save, needing just five pitches to end the game.

Suminski hit two doubles and drew a walk and Tisdale went 2-for-3 with the two RBI to lead the offense.

In game two, the Oilers jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but freshman Joe Filosa (Fort Wayne, Ind.) settled down after that, allowing just two hits in the next five innings and none after the fourth.

ODU's offense managed just one run through the first five innings. Freshman Jacob Tisevich (North Canton, Ohio) tripled to right-center and scored on Suminski's single to right to make it 3-1 in the third, but the Panthers had just four hits through the first five frames with six strikeouts.

The Panthers came to life in the sixth, though. Sophomore Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) started things with a bunt single, and freshman Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) followed with a two-run homer to right to tie the game at 3-3.

Tisdale and freshman Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) followed with singles, and Horsley kept the beat going with another base hit – the fifth consecutive of the inning – to bring in Tisdale and give the Panthers a 4-3.

Senior Ronn Bidwell (Syracuse, N.Y.) threw out a base runner in the seventh and Filosa ended the frame with a strike out and a ground out, and ODU put the game away in the bottom half. Sophomore Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio) hustled out a double down the left field line, and an Oiler error put runners on the corners with no outs.

Suminski lined an RBI single to center field, Sponseller drew a bases loaded walk, and Tisdale hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to stake ODU to a 7-3.

Bartolone then entered in the eighth and struck out four batters in the final two innings, allowing just one hit.

Filosa improved to 6-2 as he worked 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and just the three runs in the second. He struck out seven, one shy of his season-high he set in his last start at Walsh, and walked two. He threw 69 of his 102 pitches for strikes as well.

Bartolone threw 18 of his 22 pitches for strikes in closing out the game in a non-save situation.

ODU finished with 12 hits in the game, led by a 3-for-4 effort from Evans. Suminski had a pair of hits with two RBI and Tisevich also had two hits, while Sponseller totaled three RBI.

The Panthers and Oilers will wrap up the GLIAC regular season with a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at noon at Panther Valley. ODU's nine seniors will be recognized following the conclusion of the games.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu