Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The John Carroll men's baseball squad played two different teams in two games on Saturday in Wabash, Indiana, dropping game one by a 5-1 margin before a 12th inning walk-off single from Chet Lauer earned the Blue Streaks a 6-5 win and a split in the afternoon match-up against Dominican University (IL).

In the morning game, host Wabash College broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the fifth inning to take control against JCU, which had a hard time offensively in the 5-1 loss.  Mark Huddle was the only Blue Streak to produce multiple hits in the game, going 2-4, while the rest of the team added just six hits.

Jimmy Spagna absorbed the loss after throwing four innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits.  He falls to 2-2 on the pitcher's mound in 2013.

Joe Veltri also reached base twice, with one single and a walk.  JCU did not score until Robby Cifelli's run in the eighth.

The afternoon contest was different in many ways.

First, the Blue Streak bats awoke early with an RBI single in the first inning courtesy of reigning OAC Hitter of the Week David Lykens.  He scored Bobby Sabatino with the hit.  JCU added a tally in the second, as well, to take a 2-0 lead into the top of the third inning.

Dominican struck back with three runs in the third against Anthony Libertini, who would go on to allow only the trio of runs in six innings to get the no-decision.

When the Stars later scored a pair in the bottom of the ninth to take the momentum and a 5-4 lead, the Blue & Gold did not fold.  Facing the wrong end of a potential Saturday sweep, Sabatino smashed a one-out triple and came around to score on an RBI ground off the bat of Lykens to force extra frames.

Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th, thanks in part to Zach Verner's three innings of scoreless relief, before JCU ended the marathon in the bottom of the 12th.  Cifelli singled to start the rally, but could advance only to second base before there were two outs.

Then, into the batter's box walked junior Chet Lauer, who singled in Cifelli to end the game and improve the Blue Streaks' season record to 9-4.

Verner got his first win of the season, and four different JCU hitters pounded out multiple base-knocks.  Sabatino scored a team-high three runs in the game, while Mitchell Herringshaw went 3-5 at the plate.