GREENSBURG, Pa. - The Ohio Dominican Panthers (4-2) baseball team prepped for their trip to Florida with a doubleheader against the defending PSAC champion Seton Hill Griffins (3-2) on Sunday (Feb. 25).
After a 5-2 defeat in game one to the Griffins, the Panthers played in their longest Division II era contest. The nightcap went 15 innings with Seton Hill walking off for a 5-4 win.
GAME ONE (L, 5-2)
Seton Hill scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and that was the only scoring until the bottom of the sixth inning. The Griffins added three runs in that inning and led the Panthers 5-0 going into the last inning.
Ohio Dominican got some offense going with two outs in the seventh inning.
Drew Emerson (Germantown, Ohio) entered as a pinch hitter and was plunked by a 2-2 pitch.
Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) followed with an infield single to move Emerson to second base.
Peter Jelenic (Medina, Ohio) doubled home both runs as the Panthers got within 5-2. Seton Hill ended the game with a strikeout, winning 5-2.
Hunt had two singles in the game while
Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio),
Spencer Tammaro (New Albany, Ohio) and
CJ Dean (Columbus, Ohio) all added singles in the fourth and sixth innings.
Michael Lesiecki (Uhrichsville, Ohio) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing five runs on seven hits. He took the loss with one walk and six strikeouts.
Chance Woods (Columbus, Ohio) got the final two outs of the contest in his season debut.
GAME TWO (L, 5-4 - 15 innings)
The game was scoreless for the first four innings before the Panthers broke the scoreless tie with a run in the fifth inning.
Mason Kurtz (Ostrander, Ohio) reached on his second single of the game to that point before getting erased on a fielder's choice from B. Hunt. B. Hunt stole second base and scored on Jelenic's RBI single to left field. Ohio Dominican led 1-0 but the lead did not last long as Seton Hill tied the game in the bottom half of the fifth.
For the next four innings, the game was locked at one run apiece to send it to extra innings. The first three extra frames kept the game tied at one with the 13th inning seeing the first runs scored since the sixth inning.
In the 13th inning, Jelenic led off with a walk and moved into scoring position with a single by
Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio). Mathey plated Jelenic with a sacrifice fly to center field. Just like the sixth, the home team tied the game with a run and continued the game in the bottom half.
Neither team could convert in the 14th inning and Ohio Dominican broke through again in the 15th inning.
Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) and stole second with Marshall following with a single. A fielder's choice and hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Panthers. Dean drove home two runs with a single as ODU led 4-2. Three runs scored in the bottom of the 15th inning allowed the Griffins to walk off with a 5-4 win.
Marshall and Kurtz both had three hits each in six at-bats. Dean reached with a single and a double as he became the 11th player in the D2 era with seven at-bats in a game.
Chase Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) tossed seven innings of one-run ball with three hits and two walks scattered.
Max Whitesell (Dayton, Ohio) followed with 2.2 innings of shutout ball, striking out three Griffins.
Derek Bolander (Oregon, Ohio) surrendered one run in 3.1 innings pitched with five strikeouts.
Michael Knapp (Elyria, Ohio) was the final reliever that gave up the final three runs in 1.2 innings.
The Panthers will play six games in Florida, starting with Minnesota State Mankato on Saturday (March 2).
