CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's baseball team started its season in fine fashion as the Panthers swept a doubleheader by scores of 11-5 and 11-0 over Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday at V.A. Memorial Stadium.

The Panthers pounded out 27 hits in the two games and limited the Cardinals to just nine hits in the two games.

Senior Ian Huss (Springboro, Ohio) finished the day 6-for-7 at the plate, senior Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) went 4-for-7 with four runs scored, and four players tallied three hits: senior Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio), junior Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio), sophomore Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) and freshman Colin Kaucher (Toledo, Ohio).

Sophomore Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) reached base seven times on a hit, five walks and a hit by pitch as well.

The Panthers benefited from strong starting pitching as well. In the opener, sophomore Joe Filosa (Fort Wayne, Ind.) allowed two runs in four innings, and in the nightcap freshman Brad Wilson (Alexandria, Ohio) allowed just one hit in five innings of work.

ODU struck first in the opener on a two-out, three-run shot to left by Fitzgerald, his third home run in a Panther uniform.

After the Cardinals drew within 3-2 in the third, the Panthers pulled away with a six-run inning in the bottom half. Kaucher and sophomore Cody Paterniti (Chardon, Ohio) each had RBI basehits and junior Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) launched a three-run triple to center to help account for the scoring as the Panthers took advantage of two Wheeling Jesuit errors.

Burson's RBI single in the fourth and Childers' RBI baseknock in the fifth finished the scoring for ODU as the Panthers pounded out 14 hits in the game.

Huss went 4-for-4 and Kaucher finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks in his collegiate debut. Fitzgerald and Burson also had a pair of hits and Sponseller drew three walks and was hit by a pitch in his four plate appearances.

Wilson was dominant in his five innings in the second game, throwing 35 of his 46 pitches for strikes and striking out three without issuing a walk. He faced the minimum, as a one-out single in the third was erased on a double play by the next batter.

The Panthers again scored three runs in the first inning. Evans had an RBI grounder and Childers and Horsley each recorded RBI basehits to left field.

Horsley's two-run single in the third extended the lead to 5-0, and ODU broke the game open with a five-run fourth. Evans smacked a two-run triple, Childers also had an RBI triple, and Sponseller had an RBI single in the frame.

Horsley went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Evans knocked in three to help lead the offensive attack.

ODU finished with 13 hits in the second game and batted .422 in the doubleheader with six extra base hits.

Ohio Dominican and Wheeling Jesuit conclude their three-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday in Chillicothe.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu