MASON, Ohio – One year to the day after giving Ohio Dominican's baseball team a win on a walk off homer, Chris Sackett (Loveland, Ohio) came through in the clutch again today with an RBI single in the sixth inning to break a tie game and lift the Panthers to a 4-3 win over Tiffin in game two of a doubleheader.

Last year, Sackett hit a monstrous shot to give the Panthers to a 7-6 win over West Liberty in Chillicothe. Today, he followed up a sixth inning double by Max Banke (Oakwood, Ohio) with a base hit back up the middle that scored Banke as the go-ahead run.

Junior Brad Wilson (Alexandria, Ohio) then shut the door on the Dragons (1-2) in the seventh inning to preserve the win and give the Panthers (5-2) a split on the day after ODU fell 5-2 in the opener.

Sackett was making his first appearance of the season and went 2-for-3 at the dish as part of ODU's 10-hit attack in game two. Also registering a pair of hits were senior Cody Paterniti (Chardon, Ohio), Banke and junior Noah Bland (Oberlin, Ohio).

Junior Mitchell Bault (Maineville, Ohio) started and was effective in his 5.0 innings of work, holding the Dragons to one run on four hits while striking out three. He exited with the Panthers in front 2-1 after ODU plated a pair in the first inning on a wild pitch and an RBI double from sophomore Joey Machuga (Canfield, Ohio) that brought home junior Colin Kaucher (Toledo, Ohio).

ODU went in front 3-1 in the fifth as junior Brad Hull (Gahanna, Ohio) scored on a wild pitch, but the Dragons came back to even things up in the sixth, taking advantage of an ODU error and a trio of walks to draw even.

But Wilson was able to get out of further trouble in the inning by leaving the bases loaded, and after Sackett's RBI single in the bottom of the frame, worked a perfect seventh to close the game and earn the win.

The Panthers were able to bounce back after suffering the 5-2 setback in the opener. ODU had fallen behind 2-0 in the first inning, but came back to tie it on an RBI single by Kaucher in the fourth and an RBI grounder from Paterniti in the fifth.

Tiffin, however, scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning, then tacked on another run in the sixth to build its three-run cushion. ODU was able to bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but a line out to center ended the comeback.

The Panthers were held to just four hits in the opener, with Bland highlighting the day at the plate by going 2-for-2 with a walk. Senior Justin Childers (Pickerington, Ohio) also drew a pair of walks.

Senior Matt Kittelberger (Massillon, Ohio) went the distance for the Panthers and struck out nine while yielding just six hits and three earned runs.

Ohio Dominican returns to the diamond for a doubleheader against Wayne State at 1 p.m. Saturday in VA Memorial Stadium.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu