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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Cavaretta

Baseball Vanquishes Polar Bears on the Road on Monday

| By: Drezdan Dale, Staff Writer
Box Score ADA, Ohio -- Due to the poor weather on Sunday, John Carroll University Baseball's doubleheader against the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears was moved to Monday night, with the teams only playing a single game. Despite the inconvenience, this did not stop the Blue Streaks from continuing their early season dominance.

The Blue Streaks won 7-5 behind timely offense and excellent relief pitching.

Starting on the mound for the Polar Bears was Tom Pitko, who held the Blue Streaks in check during the first inning despite an error which allowed Joe Olsavsky to get on base with two outs. In the bottom of the first, John Carroll starting pitcher John Merrill returned the favor, inducing a ground ball double play to overcome a Blue Streak error as well.

The Blue Streaks were able to get the scoring started in the top of the second. Henry Haracz led off the inning with a walk and stole second base. Tyler Cyrus, coming off a huge Saturday doubleheader, singled to left, driving in Haracz. Bennett Cavaretta followed with a double, advancing Cyrus to third. After Pitko retired the next two batters, Sam Heaton stepped up with two outs and delivered a single to right center, driving in both Cyrus and Cavaretta, and putting the Streaks up 3-0.

Ohio Northern would waste little time scoring themselves as Chayten Overholt drew a one-out walk. Nate Webb followed with a homerun down the left field line, cutting the John Carroll lead to 3-2. 

Joe Olsavsky led off the top of the third with a strikeout, but was able to reach first as the pitch got away from the catcher. After another wild pitch, a Haracz walk, and a fielder's choice groundout by Cyrus, Olsavsky was able to score on another wild pitch, putting the Streaks ahead 4-2. That lead would not last much longer as Ohio Northern's Logan Stevens hit a three-run homerun down the left field line to put the Polar Bears ahead for the first time this game.

Neither team was able to score in their respective at-bats in the fourth. To start off the fifth, Olsavsky was hit by a pitch, and was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice groundout by Justin Hanley. Haracz followed with a double, advancing Hanley to third. Cyrus came through for his second RBI of the game by grounding out to second base, bringing in Hanley. Cavaretta followed with a base hit, which brought in Haracz. After a wild pitch that allowed Cavaretta to take second, Logan LaMere notched an RBI single to left, taking the Blue Streak lead to 7-5. 

After Merrill hit Ohio Northern's Krue Thwaits with a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth, Blue Streak catcher LaMere threw Thwaits out trying to steal second. Merrill was able to get out of the rest of the inning unscathed. 

To start the top of the sixth, the Polar Bears switched pitchers to Tim Knapschaefer. Pitko (1-2) finished his evening allowing six earned runs on six hits and two walks while also striking out five Blue Streak batters. Knapschaefer held John Carroll in check, striking out Heaton along the way.

After retiring Overholt via flyout and walking Webb, Henry Darrow came on in relief for Merrill. Merrill finished with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and one walk and he ultimately earned his third victory of the season. Darrow escaped the bottom of the sixth without allowing a run, holding the two run lead.

Both relief pitchers shut down the opposing team's offenses in the seventh innings as well. Knapschaefer went 1-2-3, while Darrow allowed two hits but struck out two batters and escaped the situation without allowing a run. It was more of the same in the eighth inning as Knapschaefer only allowed the Blue Streaks to reach base on an error while Darrow struck out three of the four batters he faced in the inning.

Heading into the top of the ninth leading by two runs, John Carroll was not able to add any insurance runs as Knapschaefer again retired all three batters without allowing a baserunner. 

Darrow came back out to start the bottom of the ninth, and retired Thwaits on a ground out to Heaton at short. Ohio Northern's Will Davis singled to center, which prompted Blue Streak manager Bobby Bell to bring in reliever Jack Bennett for Darrow. Darrow finished with five strikeouts in three innings pitched while only allowing four baserunners and was essential to keeping the Polar Bears at bay. Bennet struckout Ohio Northern's number three hitter in the lineup, Corey McMann, and got cleanup hitter Matthew Burkett to fly out to left to end the game and earn the save. 

With the 7-5 victory, the Blue Streaks improved to 8-3 (5-2 OAC). Meanwhile, the Polar Bears fell to 3-8 (2-5 OAC) on the season. 

Up next for John Carroll is a doubleheader at Marietta College on Friday, April 2nd. The first game between the Blue Streaks and the Pioneers is slated to begin at 1 pm. The Blue Streaks will be back home at Schweickert Field next Saturday, April 3, as they host a doubleheader against Marietta with the first game beginning at 1 pm. 
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