Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By: Sean Neidig, sports information graduate assistant
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Capital University Baseball moved its home doubleheader against Otterbein up a day to avoid nasty weather over the weekend but the change in schedule did not bring the Crusaders any luck on Friday the 13th as the team dropped a pair to the Cardinals.
Game One – Otterbein 14, Capital 1
The day's first game started as a pitchers' duel between starters Craig Prince for Otterbein and Patrick Avellano (Alpharetta, Ga. / Alpharetta) for Capital. Neither hurler allowed a run over their first four innings of work and Avellano went five scoreless to start the game.
The Crusaders got on the board first in the bottom of the fifth when Zackary Ary (London, Ohio / Jonathan Alder) grounded out but brought Drew Ellis (Doylestown, Ohio / Chippewa) home to break the tie. However, the run woke the Cardinal bats and in the top of the sixth, Otterbein responded with seven runs. A single and a double each brought in a run and then the Cards loaded the bases and worked a walk to bring a run home. Three more singles each plated runs and Otterbein led by six after the sixth.
After being held scoreless in the seventh, the Cardinals added four in the eighth and three in the ninth. Bryan Stopar hit a three-run homer in the eighth and a pair of singles plated the three runs in the final frame.
The Crusaders managed five hits in the game, all off of Prince. Otterbein's starter went 7 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Avellano finished his day with 5 1/3 innings with seven runs allowed (five earned), three walks and six strikeouts. Casey Hamrick (Westerville, Ohio / Worthington Christian), Kole Carter (Gallipolis, Ohio / Gallia Academy) and Scott Gutstein (Cooper City, Fla. / NSU University School) also pitched for the Crusaders.
Game Two – Otterbein 6, Capital 1
The second game of the day started much quicker than the first with each team getting a run in the second inning. The Cardinals got a run in with a single in their half of the inning and Capital did the same in theirs. Tyler Osborne (Newark, Ohio / Newark) was hit by a pitch and the Drew Ellis worked a walk before Travis Gilbert (Marion, Ky. / Crittenden County) singled through the right side of the infield to score Osborne. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, Osborne's run was the only one they managed to scratch out in the game.
Otterbein took the lead in the fourth inning on a triple by Tim Snyder that plated two and then the Cardinals scored a run in each of the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. The run in the seventh was a solo homer courtesy of Ben Beachy, his second of the day.
Ary and Gilbert each finished the game with two hits for the Crusaders and Beau Otto (Cincinnati, Ohio / Roger Bacon), Alexander Smith (Elk Grove, Calif. / Cosumnes Oaks) and Osborne each got hits.
Capital starter Ross Thompson (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth) pitched six innings of seven-hit ball and allowed four runs (three earned). He also walked two and struck out six. Stevie Yuran got the win of Otterbein by pitching the first six innings and allowing only one run and striking out five. Joseph Borkey (Kirtland Hills, Ohio / Lake County) and Clay Piatt (Granville, Ohio / Granville) also pitched for Capital.
The Crusaders (11-17, 2-8 Ohio Athletic Conference) will return to Clowson Field and look to turn their fortunes around with a doubleheader against Wilmington College on Wednesday, April 18. The first game of that series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
