Box Score On 22 occasions in 2013, John Carroll had taken a lead past the sixth inning. On 22 occasions, the Blue Streaks had gone on to win.

Then came the first round of the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament.

Armed with a 3-1 lead, the John Carroll bullpen surrendered six runs in the top of the eighth as the bottom fell out of what became a 7-3 loss at the hands of the University of Mount Union.

"We just didn't do a good job of throwing strike one out of the bullpen," said John Carroll head coach Marc Thibeault. "They got a couple of hits ... we talked to the kids about making plays to cut off a big inning. Unfortunately, we had some brain freezes on defense ... but it all strats with strike one."

John Carroll broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Joe Veltri drew a walk on a full count, moved to second on a sacrifice, then scored when Jimmy Spanga singled up the middle with two outs.

Mount Union answered with a single run in the top of the sixth, but John Carroll responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. After a Mark Huddle double and a Connor Marrero walk, Veltri plated both a hit down the left field line to give the Blue Streaks a two-run cushion.

It appeared to be right where the Blue Streaks wanted the game to be heading into the latter innings.

Patrick O'Brien, who had been solid all season, had worked six innings of four-hit, one run ball for the Blue Streaks. But after 93 pitches, the ball was turned over to the bullpen -- a bullpen that had yet to give up a lead after six innings all season.

"Pat pitched well enough to get the win tonight," said Thibeault. "I feel bad that he didn't get it. He's been just great for us all year."

In the top of the eighth, a walk started off a string of events that allowed 12 batters to come to the plate. Despite leaving the bases loaded, the Purple Raiders pushed six runs across. JCU did not manage a hit in either the bottom fo the eighth or the ninth.

The win takes Mount Union to 21-16 on the season and earns it a slot in the winners' bracket against Otterbein University Friday at 11:00 a.m. The loss drops John Carroll to 25-15 and into the loser's bracket to face off with Marietta College in a game that will start at approximately 2:00 p.m. Friday.