COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Dominican Panthers (7-9, 1-1 G-MAC) turned their attention to conference play and the official home opener on Thursday (March 16). The Panthers hosted the Malone Pioneers (10-6, 1-1 G-MAC) at Frank Damian Field at Panther Valley for the first pair of doubleheaders to kick off the G-MAC schedule. 

Ohio Dominican started the day with a 5-3 win before Malone evened the series with a 12-2 win in game two. 

GAME ONE

The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) walked before Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio) singled to third base. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position with Alex Brill (Amherst, Ohio) walking to load the bases with one out. Michael O'Callaghan (Morrow, Ohio) singled home Daniels and Mathey with a two-run single down the right field line. Brill crossed the plate on a Jake Scherette (Brunswick, Ohio) single as the lead grew to 3-0 after one inning. 

Malone got one run back in the top of the third inning on a bases loaded sacrifice fly. 

A two-run third inning allowed the Panthers to push the lead to 5-1, responding to Malone's single run in the top half. David Silva (Tontogany, Ohio) reached on an one-out single. He moved to second on a Brill single and advanced to third on a flyout. With Brill at first, he started to run towards second, with Silva stealing home on a delayed steal. Scherette followed with a RBI double to right field. 

In the eighth inning, the Pioneers scored two runs and put the go-ahead run on base but could not get any closer than 5-3. 

Derek Bolander (Oregon, Ohio) pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career. He scattered six hits and three runs (one earned) in seven and one third innings. He walked three and struck out three to get his third win of the season. 

Myles Martinez (Columbus, Ohio) got his third save of the season with 1.2 scoreless innings pitched. He allowed two hits with one walk and one strikeout. 

With 11 hits in the opener, four different players (Mathey, Silva, O'Callaghan and Scherette) had two hit contests. O'Callaghan and Scherette both drove in a pair of runs. 

GAME TWO

Malone scored one run in the third and one in the fifth inning, taking a 2-0 lead with the Panthers batting in the fifth. 

Ohio Dominican tied the game with a clutch base hit in the fifth. Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio) singled and Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) followed with a double down the left field line. Daniels lined a two-run single to center field, knotting the game at two. 

The Pioneers brought home ten runs in the sixth, winning the game 12-2. 

Michael Lesiecki (Uhrichsville, Ohio) tossed five and a third innings, allowing four runs (two earned). Hunt made his pitching debut with a scoreless inning with one strikeout. 

Hunt was the only Panther with multi-hits as he notched a pair of hits. 

The series is slated to continue on Monday (March 20) after weather is forcing a delay to the schedule. First pitch in Panther Valley is set for 1:00 PM. 

Contact: Tyler Stotsky
stotskyt@ohiodominican.edu