TIFFIN – Tallying a whopping 34 hits on the day, the Heidelberg University baseball team took two from Manchester University on Monday. Game one was a high scoring affair with the Student Princes winning 11-10. Game two was dominated by the home team resulting in an 11-3 win for HU.
The Student princes improve to 6-6 on the year while Manchester falls to 8-5.
Heidelberg 11 Manchester 10
Corbin Caplan (1-1) got the start in game one for Heidelberg. He went 3.2 innings, giving up five runs, on ten hits, and fanning one.
The Spartans got things going early in the first inning on a Harrison Pittsford single allowing two runners to score for an early 2-0 for Manchester.
HU responded in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on the corners,
Camden Farley tripled to deep center field, scoring
Aidan Corrigan and
Andrew Cook. Farley would end up scoring on a passed ball to put Heidelberg up 3-2 after one inning of play.
The top of the second saw the Spartans take the lead right back. With two outs and a guy on first, an Aidan Stevens single allowed Manchester to get a runner in scoring position. The next three Spartan batters would double, allowing Manchester to plate four in the inning to take the 6-3 lead.
With two runners on in the fourth, Manchester's Joel Kennedy hit a three run homerun that pushed the Spartan lead to 10-3.
Down but not out, Heidelberg would not give up. Following a Reece McNeeley walk, freshman Braeden Limke hit his second home run of the year to cut the deficit to 10-5 after four.
The comeback continued in the fifth, as
Thomas Sauer took one deep that plated two for HU making it 10-8.
After three innings of scoreless baseball, Heidelberg had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth.
Adam McVicker led off the inning with a double to center field. Thanks to a throwing error by the Spartans, McVicker was able to come in and cut the deficit to just one.
Staying hot with the bat,
Kyle Krummen came in clutch hitting a single to right field that allowed
Andrew Pokley to score and tie things up at 10-10. A wild pitch from the Spartans, and a McNeeley single put runners in scoring position with one out.
Limke was then intentionally walked to load the bases for HU. Corrigan came to the plate, looking to be the hero. Working the pitcher into a full count, the payoff pitch from the Spartans missed badly. Krummen trotted home to seal the comeback victory for the Berg, 11-10.
Heidelberg 11 Manchester 3
Jackson Powers (2-1) got the ball in game two for HU. He had a nice showing, going five innings, giving up six hits and two runs. He struck out three in the win.
HU continued their hot hitting in game two. Farley got things started in the first as he doubled to right field with two outs. Sauer came to the plate for Heidelberg, roping a double down the left field line, which allowed one runner to score for the early 1-0 lead.
Pokley continued the two out rally with a double of his own, scoring two more for the Berg. A Krummen single allowed Pokley to score.
Cort Kramer followed suit with a single to plate one more. Heidelberg took the 5-0 lead after one.
Manchester would get a run back in the second on a sacrifice fly from Jackson Todor.
The Student princes continued the onslaught in the third inning. Kramer singled to right field, scoring Krummen from third. McNeeley joined in on the home run action with a two run shot to left field, stretching the HU lead to 9-1.
McVicker kept things going with a single to right field, bringing Limke in for HU to make the score 10-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Farley led off with his second triple of the day. He would then score on an error by the Spartan infield to add an insurance run for The Berg.
Manchester was able to score another run in the seventh but it was not enough resulting in the 11-3 win for Heidelberg.
On the day, Heidelberg tallied 22 runs on 34 hits. Farley and McVicker notched five hits apiece for HU. A handful of other Student Princes tallied multi-hit games over the Spartans.
HU will be back in action tomorrow as they host Defiance College. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
