COLUMBUS, Ohio – After falling 6-2 in the opener to No. 21 Ashland, Ohio Dominican's baseball team came back from a 5-1 deficit in the sixth inning but could not complete the comeback, suffering a 5-4 setback in game two on Monday.

The Panthers led early in the opener, loading the bases in the first inning and pushing across a run as junior Joey Machuga (Canfield, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to score senior Noah Bland (Oberlin, Ohio). In the second inning, senior Colin Kaucher (Toledo, Ohio) lined a basehit to right to bring in freshman Thomas Staab (Bellville, Ohio) and give ODU a 2-1 lead.

The score remained that way until the fourth when Ashland scored three times, and the Eagles tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a homer to make it 6-2.

ODU threatened in the seventh, putting the first two on, but could not push across a run in the frame.

The Panthers had seven hits to Ashland's five, but ODU's pitchers walked seven, with four of those coming in to score.

Kaucher went 3-for-4 and Staab finished 2-for-3 to lead the offense, and junior Brennan Hatten (Fairfield, Ohio) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit.

In the second game, ODU fell behind by four runs before mounting a comeback in the sixth. Senior Genesis Hillard (Cincinnati, Ohio) singled to bring home Kaucher, and after a basehit by sophomore Tim Zeller (Mount Vernon, Ohio), freshman Michael Lang (Cincinnati, Ohio) blooped a basehit down the first base line to score Hillard and Zeller.

However, a strikeout would end the threat, and Kaucher had a long line drive tracked down near the wall in right-center to end the game in the seventh.

Kaucher finished 2-for-3 to lead the Panthers offense.

Ohio Dominican returns to conference play for a doubleheader with Cedarville starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Panther Valley.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu