COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Ohio Dominican Panthers (0-6) baseball team faced another win based in a city of Columbus, battling the Columbus State Cougars (8-7) at Burger King Stadium.
Columbus State got the series sweep with a pair of wins on Saturday (Feb. 28) and started March with a 6-3 win on Sunday (March 1). The Cougars doubled up with wins of 19-0 and 8-1 on the first day.
Game 1 (Saturday - L, 19-0 in 7 innings)
- Columbus State scored multiple runs in four of the seven innings and scratched runs across in five of the innings. The big innings were five runs scored in the third and fifth innings along with six runs in the sixth inning.
- The Cougars led 3-0 with two runs in the first inning and one run in the second inning.
- Steven Chapman doubled and Noah Schacht singled for the two hits that the Panthers managed in the opener.
- Landon Ringhiser (L, 0-1) gave up eight runs allowed on ten hits in three innings pitched, walking one and striking out two. Aiden Piatt, Matthew Boll and Will Marrero combined for three innings with 11 runs allowed.
Game 2 (Saturday - L, 8-1)
- Columbus State scored four runs in the first inning with a grand slam and added a fifth run in the third inning.
- The Cougars put three runs on the board between in the sixth and seventh innings to lead 8-0.
- Tristan Schuerman and Grant Horne started the eighth inning with a pair of singles to put runners on the corners. Horne stole second base before Mason Kurtz plated Schuerman with a fielder's choice, getting ODU their first run of the series.
- Schuerman and Horne each had two-hit games in the bottom of the Panthers lineup. Mason Hess and Chapman added singles as ODU tallied six hits.
- Jaxson Stried (L, 0-2) allowed five runs on six hits in five innings as he walked three and struck out two. Colin Hennessey finished the game with three innings of three runs given up.
Game 3 (Sunday - L, 6-3)
- The game was scoreless until the third inning when Columbus State drove in two runs on three hits.
- Ohio Dominican rallied to tie the game at two in the fifth inning. Jack Lion led off with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch. Schuerman followed with a walk, leading to a pitching change. Facing a new pitcher, both runners initiated a double steal of second and third, respectively. Tryce Chaffin walked to load the bases with one out. Kurtz lined a two-run single to left field, tying the game.
- In the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Cougars responded with two runs for a 4-2 lead.
- The Panthers threatened in the eighth inning as they got the go-ahead run to the plate. Chaffin walked and Kurtz singled to left field, putting two runners on base. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Sam Battles made it 4-3 with a sacrifice fly to left field.
- Columbus State put two insurance runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-3 lead.
- ODU got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning with two outs after a walk and infield single. The Cougars closed the door and got the series sweep with a 6-3 win in the finale.
- Kurtz notched a two-hit game with his second and third RBI of the weekend. Chapman and Schuerman added singles.
- Chapman (L, 0-2) surrendered four runs (three earned) in five innings while striking out six batters. Andrew Holcomb and Carson Willis pitched a scoreless inning each. Nick Cody allowed two runs in his short outing. Andrew Mouch fanned two batters for his two outs.
Ohio Dominican is scheduled to play the next nine games at home, beginning with a four-game series next weekend against Indiana (Pa.).
