COLUMBUS, Ohio - The home opener finally arrived for the Ohio Dominican Panthers (10-9) baseball team this weekend as they welcomed the Coker Cobras (18-12) to Frank Damian Field at Panther Valley for a three-game series.
After the Panthers won the home opener on Saturday (March 23), the Cobras took the final two games of the series on Saturday and Sunday (March 24).
Saturday Game 1 (W, 5-1)
Ohio Dominican struck with two outs in the opening inning to put the first run on the board.
Spencer Tammaro (New Albany, Ohio) singled with two outs and scored on a RBI single by
Gianni Passarelli (Delaware, Ohio). Following a run for the Cobras in the second, Passarelli knocked
Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio) with a RBI single after Marshall singled in the third inning. One inning later, Ohio Dominican plated three runs on four hits.
Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) doubled and advanced into scoring position on a
Peter Jelenic (Medina, Ohio) singled.
Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) reached on a bunt single, scoring Hunt and Marshall cleaned up the bases with a two-run double down the right field line. ODU led 5-1 and ended the game with that score.
Four different Panthers accounted for multi-hit games, including Daniels, Marshall, Tammaro and Passarelli. Marshall and Passarelli combined to drive in four of the five runs.
Michael Lesiecki (Uhrichsville, Ohio) went the distance for his second complete game of the season. Lesiecki scattered four singles over seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Saturday Game 2 (L, 6-2)
Coker scored two runs in the second inning to gain control of the nightcap on Saturday.
Jake Scherette (Brunswick, Ohio) blasted his second home run of the season to right field in the second inning, splitting the Cobras lead in half. Coker got that single run back in the third inning, regained a two-run advantage at 3-1.
Ohio Dominican forced Coker to go the bullpen in the fifth inning and clawed back to within one run. Jelenic singled and Daniels walked before Coker made a pitching change. On a fielder's choice by Marshall, an error allowed Jelenic to score.
The Cobras scored in each of the last three innings to win the second game of the doubleheader 6-2.
Scherette and Jelenic both had two hits each while
Michael Knapp (Elyria, Ohio) walked twice with a single to reach base three times.
Trayce Mercer (Troy, Ohio) allowed three runs in five and two thirds innings in his start.
Sunday (L, 6-5)
Coker started the scoring in the third inning on a pair of doubles. Tammaro tied the game in the bottom half of that inning on a double play ball. The Cobras used four runs in the fourth inning and one run in the seventh inning to lead 6-1.
The Panthers' shot at a comeback started in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two singles and a passed ball, Tammaro plated a run with a sacrifice fly to right field. The eighth inning saw the Panthers bring home three more runs to get within 6-5.
Jacob Adams (Troy, Ohio) doubled down the left field line as the leadoff batter. After two strikeouts, B. Hunt singled home Adams and kicked off a string for four straight singles, Jelenic and Marshall joined Hunt to plate runs. Coker got out of the inning with the go-ahead run at first base.
Ohio Dominican got the tying run on base in the ninth but the Cobras extinguished the threat.
Marshall became the tenth Panther in the Division II era to have five hits in a game. Jelenic had two hits of his own with Daniels reaching base three times with a stolen base.
Chase Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) started and gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings.
Derek Bolander (Oregon, Ohio) tossed four innings of relief, allowing one unearned run with five strikeouts.
Ohio Dominican will host Wheeling in the second leg of the series on Wednesday (March 27) now after the weather forecast forces a postponement from Tuesday's original schedule. First pitch in the Valley is set for 3:00 PM.
