Box Scores:  Game 1 vs. Heidelberg  /  Game 2 vs. Heidelberg

Eight days ago, John Carroll was sitting on a five-game winning streak, had a 22-9 record, and was in control of its postseason destiny to the point where hosting the Ohio Athletic Conference was a definite possibility.

Following a pair of 3-2 losses Saturday afternoon to league regular season champion Heidelberg in Tiffin, Ohio, the Blue Streaks' 2008 season came to an abrupt end.

JCU closes out the year on a six-game skid, finishing with a 22-15 record and placing fifth in the final regular season standings -- one win shy of making the four-team postseason tournament.

As for the action at Peaceful Valley, John Carroll got its pitching back under control after three consecutive games of surrendering double figure runs, but could not produce hits in the clutch often enough.

In game one, JCU trailed 1-0 entering the top of the second inning when John Hastings singled home Bryan Robinett from third with the bases loaded and two out. Mike Carbo, however, was thrown out at home trying to give JCU a lead.

John Carroll would eventually take that lead in the top of the sixth inning. Matthew Pangallo would lead off the frame with a solo home run that staked the Blue Streaks a 2-1 advantage.

Unfortunately for the JCU cause, the Blue Streaks would give back an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the contest, 2-2. A one out single would start the trouble, as an attempt to catch a base stealer went wrong allowing the runner to advance to third. A sacrifice fly would then bring the run home.

Starter Matt Fort would work into the seventh, but would take the loss when Heidelberg used a two-out single tp score the winning run from second.

The second game appeared to be going John Carroll's way early on. RBI singles by Adam Sockel and Pangallo would erase an early 1-0 deficit in the fourth inning.

Starter Tony Evanko would keep the dangerous Heidelberg line-up at bay for 7 2/3 innings before giving way to Brandon Kurtz. kurtz would get the Blue Streaks out of a jam in the eighth, but then ran into his own troubles in the ninth.

After the first two runners reached in the bottom of the ninth, Kurtz induced a double play ball, but the lead-off runner was a third when the ball was put in play, and scored the tying run.

Heidelberg would score the winning run in the bottom of the 11th when JCU could not complete a double play that would have extended the game to a 12th inning. The Blue Streaks got the force at second but did not get the runner at first, allowing another runner from third to cross the plate.

JCU, despite leading the league in ERA (3.55) for the second consecutive year, will miss the OAC tournament for a fourth consecutive season. In each of the last three years, the Blue Streaks have finished in fifth place.

Sean McCarthy became John Carroll's all-time leader in career batting average with a mark of .392 (166-424).