COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's baseball team had opportunities in both games but fell in both ends of a doubleheader to Wayne State, 7-5 and 7-2, Sunday afternoon at Panther Valley.

Trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning of the opener, junior Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) legged out an infield single and sophomore Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) drew a walk to put two runners aboard. Sophomore Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) then drilled a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left center, his second dinger of the season, to make it 5-4.

In the seventh, the first two hitters were retired, but freshman Genesis Hillard (Cincinnati, Ohio) got the rally going by lining a double off the wall in the left. Evans reached on another infield single, and Sponseller hit the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a basehit to tie the game.

However, the Panthers left two runners in scoring position to end the inning, and after a scoreless eighth, Wayne State scored twice in the ninth to go in front 7-5.

Sophomore Cody Paterniti (Chardon, Ohio) smacked a single through the right side and Evans popped up a bunt that landed in fair territory to put two runners on in the ninth, but ODU could not get the two-out hit this time to extend the game.

Evans had three hits to lead the Panthers in the opener.

In game two, ODU took a 2-0 lead on Sponseller's fifth home run of the season, a laser to right-center, in the third inning.

The score remained that way until the fifth, when Wayne State scored five runs, then tacked on two more in the seventh to put it away.

The Panthers had seven hits but hit into four double plays.

Childers had two hits for the Panthers in game two.

Ohio Dominican plays a home doubleheader with Indianapolis at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu