Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

For the first time since April of 2005, the John Carroll University baseball team defeated Heidelberg, snapping a 16-game skid against the Student Princes.

More importantly, the Blue Streaks benefited from masterful pitching and defense, as well as explosive hitting to sweep Heidelberg, 4-0 and 13-1, and improve to 23-12 (11-5 OAC) With the wins, the Blue Streaks have guaranteed themselves a spot in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament.

Game one was another gem for Patrick O'Brien, who lowered his season earned run average to 0.74 by allowing zero runs on three hits in 6.0 innings.  He ran his record to 4-1 in what has become a spectacular senior campaign. 

JCU went to work early with an RBI single from Jimmy Spagna in the first.  An inning later, Joe Veltri singled in Ryan Konsler to provide a 2-0 lead.

Insurance runs were added in the fifth inning on a Chet Lauer RBI single and a bases loaded walk issued to Connor Marrero. 

Zach Verner's scoreless seventh got the monkey off John Carroll's back, and set the stage for a rout in game two.

The Blue Streaks started right away in the later game, crossing home plate three times in the first frame.  Lauer's two-RBI single was the marquee hit of the inning. 

As the Blue & Gold added at least one run in the third, fifth, and sixth innings, Andrew Doring (6.0 innings pitched, zero runs) and Kevin Rosinski (1.1 innings pitched, one earned run) were holding Heidelberg's offense scoreless until the eighth.

And when the Student Princes finally got on the scoreboard, JCU promptly responded with a six-run bottom of the eighth, highlighted by RBI hits from Spagna, Konsler, and Mark Huddle.

When the final out was retired, the Blue Streaks earned a decisive 13-1 win in game two and Doring improved to 4-0 on the mound in 2013.  Spagna and Lauer each had four total hits between the two games, while Huddle chipped in three.

With the sweep, John Carroll clinched at least the #2 seed in the OAC Tournament, which will begin on May 9.