AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Sharp pitching by sophomore Matt Kittelberger (Massillon, Ohio) and a five-run first inning propelled Ohio Dominican's baseball team to a 13-2 victory over Ohio Valley on Friday morning.

The Panthers (7-2-1) finished with 14 hits in the game, their third straight game with 13 or more hits. It's also the fifth time in 10 games that ODU has scored at least 11 runs.

Junior Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) had a career-high four RBIs as he was one of five Panthers with two hits in the game. Sophomore Cody Paterniti (Chardon, Ohio) and freshman Genesis Hillard (Cincinnati, Ohio) had identical stat lines as they went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI, while senior Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio) and sophomore Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) each had a pair of hits.

Kittelberger, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 as he worked 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. He struck out six batters as well.

The first five batters of the game reached for ODU, with Evans bringing home both Paterniti and Hillard with a basehit to center, freshman Colin Kaucher (Toledo, Ohio) doubling in Evans, and Horsley bringing in Kaucher with an RBI single to help account for a five run inning.

Evans had a sacrifice fly in the fourth to help ODU take an 8-2 lead, and the Panthers broke the game wide open with a four-run fifth inning. Paterniti, Hillard and Evans each had RBI singles and freshman Noah Bland (Oberlin, Ohio) had a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 12-2, and junior Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio) capped the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.

Through 10 games, the Panthers are batting .376 with runners in scoring position and have also registered 29 two-out RBIs.

Ohio Dominican takes on St. Joseph's at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu