ASHLAND, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's baseball team couldn't protect a 7-2 lead as the Panthers fell 8-7 in 10 innings in game one at Ashland on Saturday. The second game was postponed due to rain.

Junior Lee Sponseller (Mason, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and three walks, junior Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) homered and had three hits, and senior Tony Evans (Medway, Ohio) also homered to lead ODU.

Childers' solo shot to left-center in the first inning gave the Panthers an early lead, and a sacrifice fly by Evans in the third and another by sophomore Genesis Hillard (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the fifth put ODU in front 3-0.

The Eagles scored twice in the fifth inning, but the Panthers countered with a four-run sixth inning. Sophomore Brad Hull (Gahanna, Ohio) had an RBI basehit to left field, Sponseller hit a two-run blast to right, and Evans followed with a homer to left to give the Panthers a 7-2 cushion.

However, Ashland scored three times in the sixth inning and twice in the seventh to tie the game and force extras.

ODU managed just one hit in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, and with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Ashland hit a walkoff single to end it.

With the setback, ODU fell to 16-14 (7-8 GLIAC) on the season, while the Eagles improved to 13-22 (6-13 GLIAC). The two teams will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Monday in Ashland, and the fourth game will be made up at a later date.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu