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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
2
John Carroll JOHN CAR 23-17
3
Winner Ohio Northern OHIO NOR 29-11
John Carroll JOHN CAR
23-17
2
Final
3
Ohio Northern OHIO NOR
29-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
John Carroll JOHN CAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 0
Ohio Northern OHIO NOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 0

W: S. Thombs (2-2) L: Freeman, Frank (2-4)

Roger Simon vs. ONU on 5-9-25
Sean Finucane
Roger Simon pitched excellently, giving JCU a chance to win late

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

ONU Walkoff Eliminates JCU from OAC Tournament in a Wild Finish

JCU took a ninth-inning lead with a 2-run rally, but couldn't hold on late

ALLIANCE – Heartbreaking doesn't begin to describe it for John Carroll. 

In a game that was a pitcher's duel until Ohio Northern snuck ahead in the eighth inning, the Blue Streaks and Polar Bears took turns with dramatic 2-run rallies. 

John Carroll stood one strike away from making the championship series of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament, but ONU hit a 2-strike, 2-run walkoff single to end JCU's season early. 

"I'm proud of our team, especially our seniors and fifth years," said Manager Bobby Bell. "This is a special group, and the players truly cared for each other. It sucks for it to end this way, but I am very proud of our guys for battling back and never giving up."

Following a Thursday victory, John Carroll stumbled against Baldwin Wallace on Friday morning in a 9-2 defeat. And so, after Ohio Northern roared back from a 5-2 deficit with a 7-run eighth inning to eliminate Mount Union, the Polar Bears met the Blue Streaks for the right to advance to Saturday's title series. 

If you love groundouts, you loved the start of this game. JCU's Roger Simon and ONU's Sam Thombs traded seven scoreless innings. Simon ran into jams with a pair of baserunners in the first and third frames, but got out unscathed. 

After drawing a hit by pitch in the first inning, the Blue Streaks did not get another man aboard until Connor Mayle began the eighth with a single, breaking up the no-hitter. But JCU stranded him at second.

Ohio Northern finally got on the board in the ensuing bottom of the eighth. A leadoff single eventually led to an RBI sacrifice fly and a 1-0 lead. JCU authored a response in the ninth, finally getting Simon run support. 

With one out, Ryan Funderburg knocked a pinch hit infield single. A George Haracz double put two in scoring position. After a groundout, Ethan Glossa sliced a single through the right side. Funderburg scored easily to tie it, and then Haracz galloped around third and dashed down the line. The throw from the right fielder was a good one, but Haracz heroically leaped over the tag and touched home with his left hand, taking out the umpire in the process. 

Critically, Thombs stranded Glossa at second. With a precipitous 2-1 lead, Manager Bobby Bell turned to junior Frank Freeman to finish it off. 

The Chicagoan got two quick outs, but then the Polar Bears battled back with a single and a hit by pitch. On a 3-2 count, Kyle Callahan tapped a single to left field, and a throw was not able to be made, so both the tying and winning runs scored for a 3-2 victory.

Simon finished with an 8-inning gem, as the Loyola Academy grad scattered just 3 hits while striking out five. Thombs went the whole way, allowing just 4 hits. 

The teams combined to hit a whopping 30 groundouts in a game dominated by strong defense. No errors were committed.  

John Carroll Baseball finishes the season with a 23-17 record. 
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Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play JOHN CAR OHIO NOR
OHIO NOR BOT 8th K. Lapp fouled out to lf, sacrifice fly, RBI; E. Veenstra scored. 0 1
JOHN CAR TOP 9th E. Glossa singled, advanced to second on the throw, 2 RBI; G. Haracz scored; R. Funderbur scored. 2 1
OHIO NOR BOT 9th K. Callahan singled to left field, 2 RBI; R. Reed scored; S. Sells scored. 2 3

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