ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Lindenwood tagged the Ohio Dominican baseball team with three runs in the first inning and never trailed in Sunday's series finale, a 4-0 Lions victory.

The loss drops the Panthers to 0-3 on the season and extends their longest scoring drought of the Christopher Antonides era to 27 consecutive innings. Lindenwood improves to 5-1 this year and has held its opponents scoreless in its last 34 innings.

Both sides logged five hits in the contest, with ODU led by graduate student Cory Contini (Dover, Ohio), who was 2-for-3 and had a diving catch in the latter innings. Senior Joey Machuga (Canfield, Ohio) and sophomore Manny Vorhees (Wapakoneta, Ohio) each reached twice, with Machuga going 1-for-3 with a walk and Vorhees drawing a pair of walks. Behind the plate, Vorhees also threw out a baserunner in the fifth inning.

Also recording hits Sunday were sophomore Michael Lang (Cincinnati, Ohio) and freshman Derek Kutrubs (Brunswick, Ohio). Kutrub's pinch hit single in the top of the eighth was the first of his collegiate career.

Arguably ODU's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the first, when Machuga and Vorhees both walked to place two runners on with two outs. A ground out in the next at-bat though ended the threat.

Lindenwood then scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame, highlighted by two solo home runs. The Lions tacked on another run in the third inning to take the 4-0 advantage.

Sophomore Jaden Tabler (Van Buren, Ohio) pitched the final 5.0 innings in relief, holding the Lions scoreless, while allowing just one hit. Tabler, whose outing tied a career-long, also struck out three batters and retired the final seven batters he faced.

The Panthers now look ahead to a three-game series against Grand Valley State. ODU and GVSU open the stretch with a doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22. The entire series will be played in Harrogate, Tenn. at Lincoln Memorial University.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu