PAINESVILLE, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's baseball team swatted four home runs in a pair of slugfests at Lake Erie, winning the opener 12-10 before falling 10-8 in game two Sunday afternoon in GLIAC play.

Senior Jacob Horsley (Thornville, Ohio) went deep in each game, while classmate Colman Fitzgerald (Centerville, Ohio) and freshman Colin Kaucher (Toledo, Ohio) also homered.

The Panthers rallied from a 7-3 deficit in the opener on the strength of four run innings in both the fifth and sixth frames.

Sophomore Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) doubled to start the fifth and Horsley went opposite field to right for his first home run of the day. Fitzgerald followed with a solo shot to right field as well to bring ODU to within 7-6, and Kaucher scored on a passed ball later in the inning to tie the game.

In the sixth, Fitzgerald hit a sacrifice fly that gave ODU its first lead of the game, and Kaucher followed with a three-run homer to straightaway center to put ODU in front 11-7.

Lake Erie hit a pair of homers in its half of the sixth to pull within 11-10, but sophomore Tyler Magley (Baltimore, Ohio) got a pop out and groundout to end the inning.

Childers hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning to give ODU some breathing room, and Magley set the side down in order in the bottom half to pick up the save.

The teams combined for eight home runs and 28 hits in the game.

Childers and Kaucher both went 3-for-4 and Fitzgerald also had two hits for the Panthers.

In game two, the Panthers scored three runs in both the first and third innings, but Lake Erie tallied 17 hits to come away with the win.

Horsley had an RBI double, Fitzgerald an RBI single and Kaucher an RBI grounder in that first inning to give ODU a 3-0 lead. Horsley then blasted a three-run homer in the third to give ODU a 6-4 lead.

Lake Erie scored the next four runs to pull in front 8-6, but the Panthers drew level in the seventh on a two-run double off the bat of sophomore Jake Collinsworth (Cincinnati, Ohio).

The Storm (12-25, 8-14 GLIAC) scored one run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings, though, to come away with the two-run victory.

Horsley went 2-for-5 with four RBI, Fitzgerald had three hits, and junior Kyle Burson (Brunswick, Ohio) had two hits and drew two walks for ODU.

Ohio Dominican (17-22-1, 5-19 GLIAC) returns home for a non-conference twinbill against Indianapolis at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu