COLUMBUS - The Ohio Dominican Panthers baseball team completed a Friday (April 7) sweep of the Cedarville Yellow Jackets as the conference schedule moved towards divisional play. The Panthers and Yellow Jackets took part in a doubleheader at Frank Damian Field in Panther Valley.
Ohio Dominican won both ends of the day by final scores of 12-6 and 5-0. ODU is 14-15 overall and 7-7 in G-MAC play.
GAME ONE
Ohio Dominican wasted little time to jump out in front of the Yellow Jackets. The Panthers scored three runs in their first at-bats of the day. Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) singled as the leadoff hitter and Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio) doubled him over to third base. Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio) singled home Daniels and Marshall scored on the same play off of an error by the left fielder. Mason Kurtz (Ostrander, Ohio) capped the frame with a RBI single to center field.
Cedarville tied the game at three with a three-spot in the third inning. ODU regained the lead in the fifth inning with a big five-run inning, opening an 9-3 lead. Mathey drilled his sixth home run of the season to begin the inning. Spencer Tammaro (New Albany, Ohio) delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded following a single, error and hit by pitch. Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) and Marshall both hit two-run doubles in the inning that saw the Panthers bring 11 men to the plate.
The Yellow Jackets got two runs back in the sixth inning but Devan Nail (Elyria, Ohio) started the bottom half with a solo shot over the center field fence, his first home run of the season.
After Cedarville pulled within 10-6 in the seventh inning, Mathey answered with a two-run single to center field to end the scoring at 12-6.
Mathey led the way with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored. Daniels, Marshall and Hunt all had two hits and two runs scored. Nail crossed the plate twice with one hit.
As a unit, the Panthers swiped nine bases for the first time since April 26, 2022 against UIndy. Hunt stole four bases while Daniels took two bases. Kurtz, Nail and Marshall all stole one base.
Michael Lesiecki (Uhrichsville, Ohio) struck out seven batters in a six-inning effort for his 2nd win of the season. Myles Martinez (Columbus, Ohio) closed the game with one unearned run allowed in three innings. Martinez has seven saves for the year, leading the conference.
GAME TWO
Cedarville threatened in the second inning but could not capitalize. In a scoreless game, ODU struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Nail reached on an two-base error by the third baseman. Michael McFadden (Brunswick, Ohio) singled home Nail from second with Hunt following with a two-run homer to left field.
ODU added three runs in the sixth inning. Mathey doubled for the first baserunner of the inning. After a flyout that moved him to third, Mathey came home on a wild pitch. Nail walked before Kurtz came to the plate. Kurtz singled to right field and the right fielder made an error on the play. The right fielder airmailed the throw into the infield, allowing Nail to score on the play.
Max Whitesell (Dayton, Ohio) scattered one infield single and five walks for six shutout innings. He fanned six batters as he improved to 3-2 on the year. Hunt finished the shutout with a scoreless seventh inning in relief.
Kurtz had the only multi-hit game with two hits. Nail scored twice as he had four runs on the day.
The series continues on Saturday (April 8) at 1:00 PM for another doubleheader.
