UNOH Baseball Hangs 38 in Conference Opener

LIMA, OH - On a windy Friday in west central Ohio, UNOH baseball had their way with Cornerstone in the WHAC Opener turning 28 hits in 38 runs en route to the first conference win on their new home turf. As a team, Racers tallied 33 RBI to go along with their hit and run totals marking the program's most in a conference game in all three categories and the most in any game since 2012.

The Golden Eagles worked the bases loaded in their first at bat but back-to-back strike outs closed the door on the first scoring opportunity of the day. After a quick double play, it looked like the Racers would suffer the same feat, but six hits and three walks later they turned a goose egg into a nine run lead after just one inning of play.

The hit parade had just begun for UNOH as they pelted back-to-back doubles to start the second followed by three consecutive singles that began an avalache of runs in the frame. The Racers added four more hits that included a triple and a home run for a twelve-run inning and a 21-0 lead.

Cornerstone strung together four consecutive singles in the top of the third to get on the board with a couple runs, but UNOH kept pouring it on bagging their second double-digit scoring frame in their next at bat. They added six more hits to their game tally but were also aided by four hit batters, three walks, an error and a wild pitch. All together, ten Racer runs crossed the plate in the third growing the lead to 31-2 heading into the fourth. 

A pair of UNOH errors, both coming on potential double plays, helped the Golden Eagles get four runs back but a pitching change proved to be the finishing blow. With just one out and runners on first and second, Nate Tappenden entered the game and quickly shut the door with a pick off and a strike out to help his team out of a jam.

The Racers were held without a run in the fourth but were helped by another error in the fifth before ending the day one more big number in the sixth. The inning began with a lead off double and three straight singles and ended with six total runs for a 38-6 lead.

Cornerstone capped the game with a solo home run in their final at bat but it was the only hit allowed by Tappenden over three and two-thirds innings. He ended his day with nine strike outs and one walk to earn his first win of the year facing just one more than the minimum. Zach Cabell tossed the first three and a third with six runs on ten hits, four earned, striking out five and walking two.

Junior transfer Casey Barnes had a day to remember finishing 5-6 at the plate, a career best, with three RBI while tying the program record with six runs scored. Barnes has had an incredible week going 9-12 with eight RBI over his team's three games. Zach Grigalis, Eric Brown, Tyler Huff and Jake Watson all set new career marks in the win. Grigalis ended 4-5 with four RBI and three runs scored while Watson drove in six and scored five times, Huff also scored five times and Brown drove in five runs, all career bests.

While not the most coveted benchmarks, Nolan Hull set two records of his own after getting plugged four times by Cornerstone pitchers, the most in a game. Hull has now been hit by a pitch more times than any player in the history of the program topping a ten year old record with 40 in his career.

After a three and a half hour game one, the two teams decided to postpone game two in anticipation of a daylight shortage with the new date set for Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 PM. The Racers will have two games to play before they back to Cornerstone with a doubleheader road trip to Lawrence Tech on the docket for Saturday.