COLUMBUS - The Ohio Dominican Panthers baseball team celebrated the Class of 2023 senior class as a part of the home finale on Saturday (April 29) and Sunday (April 30) at Frank Damian Field. The Panthers battled the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans in a highly competitive series that put the top two teams in the G-MAC South Division at war. 

Trevecca Nazarene won the Saturday slate of games by scores of 12-9 and 6-2 before the teams split Sunday's action. Trevecca took the opener Sunday 8-3 while ODU rallied for a thrilling 15-14 win in the nightcap to salvage the final game. 

GAME ONE (L, 12-9)

Ohio Dominican answered every punch in the series opener from the Trojans but a big ninth inning won it for the visitors, 12-9. After Trevecca scored first in the top of the first inning, the Panthers used some power to answer back in their first at-bats. Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio) and David Silva (Tontogany, Ohio) went back-to-back over the left field fence as ODU regained the 2-1 lead. Mathey struck again in the second inning following two more Trojan runs. Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) walked and Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) singled with one out. Two batters later, Mathey doubled both home as the lead went back to ODU at 4-3. 

The Trojans tied the game in the third inning but the tie was short-lived as Hunt drilled a solo shot to the left field berm in the fourth inning. Both teams scored runs in the sixth inning with Ohio Dominican taking back the lead on a RBI double by Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio). 

In the eighth inning, ODU added another run to make it 7-5 as the game hit the final innings. With a runner in scoring position, an error allowed the run to score. 

TNU scored seven runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 12-7 lead. The Panthers made a two-out rally in the ninth as they tried to comeback one more time. The first two batters were retired before five straight men reached base. Michael Knapp (Elyria, Ohio) singled before Alex Brill (Amherst, Ohio) doubled him into scoring position. Jesse Kramer (Strongsville, Ohio) singled home two runs off the bench as a pinch-hitter. Hunt was hit by a pitch and Daniels loaded the bases with a single. With the winning run at the plate, Trevecca ended the game with a fly out, winning 12-9. 

Mathey went three-for-four with a single, double and home run to go with three RBI and a walk. Daniels had three hits, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Seven other players had hits in the game. Hunt walked twice, scored two times and reached base four times. 

Michael Lesiecki (Ulrichsville, Ohio) pitched six innings with five runs allowed. Brill closed the game with three outs in the ninth inning. 

GAME TWO (L, 6-2)

An early start for the Trojans lifted them to a Senior Day sweep, taking the nightcap 6-2. TNU scored one run in the first and three in the second inning for a 4-0 lead. After two Trojan errors in the bottom of the second, Hunt capitalized with a two-run double down the left field line. Ohio Dominican cut the lead in half, 4-2 after two innings. 

Trevecca added single runs in the fourth and seventh innings as they won 6-2. 

ODU was limited to four hits on the day with only one extra base hit, coming on Hunt's double. 

Tyler Sullivan (Cincinnati, Ohio) tallied 3.2 innings of one-run ball in relief of Max Whitesell (Dayton, Ohio), who pitched into the fourth. Sullivan scattered two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. 

GAME THREE (L, 8-3)

In an early morning contest moved up due to weather, Ohio Dominican fell 8-3 in the Sunday opener.  The Trojans opened the game with two runs in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Marshall tripled into the right center field gap to begin the fourth inning. Silva grounded out to short, scoring Marshall to split the deficit to 2-1. 

Four runs in the Trevecca fifth inning created some distance between the teams, 6-1. Ohio Dominican got two more runs in off the bat of a familiar face. Hunt kicked off the sixth inning with a bunt single and scored on a two-run blast to right center by Marshall. The Panthers got within 6-3 with the Trojans adding two final runs in the seventh inning. 

Marshall had two of ODU's five hits with two runs scored and two runs batted in. 

Chase Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) pitched in relief, allowing two runs (one earned) in 2.1 innings. 

GAME FOUR (W, 15-14)

The series finale featured a back-and-forth battle that took every inning to play out. Both teams battled back from large deficits with ODU getting the final laugh, a 15-14 walk-off victory. 

Trevecca Nazarene started with seven runs in the top of the second inning, jumping to a touchdown lead. The Panthers started a rally immediately with five runs scored in the bottom of the inning. The bases were loaded on a double, single and walk with no outs. Brill doubled home two runs with Spencer Tammaro (New Albany, Ohio) blasting a three-run home run to right-center field. 

Two innings later, the Panthers tied the game with two runs scored. Mathey went deep to right field, leading to a pitching change. Silva walked and stole second, scoring on a ground-rule double from Devan Nail (Elyria, Ohio). 

ODU completed the comeback in the fifth inning, taking a lead for the first time. Brill walked to commence the inning and came around to score on a RBI single from Marshall. After trailing 7-0 in the second, the Panthers led 8-7 in the fifth frame. 

Two big hits pushed the Panthers' lead to 12-7 in the sixth inning. Three batters reached with one out, forcing another pitching change. Brill greeted the new reliever with a two-run triple to deep center field, just missing a home run. Tammaro, with one homer already, delivered a fly ball to left field. The left fielder attempted to dive for the ball, but missed as Tammaro ran all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. 

It was Trevecca's turn with three runs in each the seventh and eighth inning and a single run in the ninth. The Trojans held a 14-12 lead as ODU took to the plate for their last at-bats. Mathey singled to left field with one out. Hunt reached on an error as ODU put two on with a pair of outs. Nail loaded the bases with a single to right field. Knapp had an infield RBI single with Brill stepping to the plate. Brill showed big time poise with a two-run single to left field as the Panthers walked it off for the third time this season, ODU won 15-14. 

The team totaled 17 hits with nine players gaining hits. Nail went for five hits in six at-bats with three runs scored. Brill was a homer shy of a cycle with three hits (single, double and triple), three runs and six RBI. Tammaro had five RBI on his two blasts to go with two walks. 

Billy Criblez (Mantua, Ohio) tossed three and one third innings of scoreless ball with Myles Martinez (Columbus, Ohio) adding a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. Brill added the win in relief with three punchouts in 2.2 innings. 

The Panthers will end the regular season in Owensboro, Kentucky on Thursday (May 4) and Friday (May 5).