With a win in game two of today's doubleheader against Capital University, the John Carroll University baseball program has qualified for a ninth consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament berth.
The 8-2 victory gives JCU (18-20, 10-8 OAC) the tiebreaker over Baldwin Wallace and Heidelberg due to head-to-head results. John Carroll will open the 2017 OAC Tournament at Mount Union on Thursday at 12:00 p.m.
Game One – Capital 8, John Carroll 7
A late rally from the Blue Streaks fell short, as Capital held on for an 8-7 victory. John Carroll scored four runs after the sixth inning, but could not score in the top of the ninth.
Patrick Keohane went 4-for-5 with a double and a RBI.
Dominic Mittiga was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Monroe Donnelly and
Mike Raschilla each drove in a run. Capital had 16 hits in the game.
Drew Vargo (L, 2-6) surrendered seven earned runs on 15 hits in 6.1 innings.
Joseph Franke allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen.
JCU led 3-0 after a Raschilla RBI double,
Monroe Donnelly RBI double, and Mittiga sacrifice fly. Capital scored six straight between the third and fourth innings, adding seventh and eighth runs in the seventh inning.
Mittiga singled up the middle in the seventh to score one, and Keohane doubled in the eighth to cut the lead to 8-5. A two-run error in the eighth plated another pair.
Game Two – JCU 8, Capital 2
John Carroll seized on the opportunity in game two, advancing to the OAC on the back of a strong offensive performance and a dominant start from
Fred Moore.
Moore (W, 4-4) allowed one earned run on nine hits, striking out five in the victory.
Steven Virost was sharp out of the bullpen, allowing two baserunners in two innings.
Capital scored first, but John Carroll ripped off eight straight runs.
Monroe Donnelly went 2-for-5 with a home run.
Derek Penman was a perfect 3-for-3 with a RBI and a walk.
Matthew Donnelly also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Â
Keohane opened JCU's scoring in the third with a sacrifice fly.
Matthew Donnelly singled to right field in the fourth to tie the game. Keohane hit a go-ahead single in the fifth, followed by a four-run sixth inning.
Monroe Donnelly put the exclamation point on the day with a solo shot to left center field to make the score 8-2.Â
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