Racers Run Over Lourdes in Season Sweep

TOLEDO, OH - UNOH baseball concluded their four-game series against Lourdes with another pair of comfortable victories on Monday. After blanking the Gray Wolves 22-0 in the first two games on Friday, the Racers put up 42 more runs in another doubleheader sweep the second time around winning 29-8 and 13-4. Over the four games, UNOH outscored Lourdes by an average of 16-3 and a total of 64-12.

The Gray Wolves got on the board first with a pair of runs in the home first, but the advantage was short-lived as UNOH tallied 13 in the second to take control. Four walks and three hit batters aided the massive inning but the Racers made the most of the opportunity logging five total hits that were highlighted by a Nolan Hull triple and Fabian Romero grand slam, the first of his career. They needed just two more hits to turn the third into a six-run frame thanks to four more walks and three hit batters.

Two walks and a single loaded the bags to open the fifth and Jake Watson followed with the team's second grand slam of the game and the first of his career. After three more singles and a Romero triple, the lineup turned back over to Watson who ripped a RBI double to cap the inning's scoring at ten and put the Racers up 29-4. Lourdes scored one in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh but the effort was far from enough giving UNOH a three touchdown victory.

Brayden Lybarger got the start but was forced out just a third of an inning away from picking up the decision. Over three and two-thirds, Lybarger gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Ryan Yingst (2-0) earned his second one-out decision of the season striking out the only batter he faced to earn the win. He was the benefactor of two ineffective relief efforts by Aidan Nugent and Nate Tappenden who combined for two and two-thirds innings with four runs, five hits, three walks and four strikeouts between them. Freshman Cam Norris finished the game in just his second appearance of the season forcing a fly out on the final batter

Fabian Romero and Nolan Hull both set new individual high water marks scoring five times each while Romero drove in seven total runs. Both tie for the second most in a game in program history and the most since 2018.

Two walks and three singles got the Racers started again in the second inning of the final game of the series. Cesar Grau doubled the score with one swing giving him his third home run of the series and a 6-0 Racer lead after two. A RBI double in the third made it seven with two more in the fourth coming from a bases-loaded hit batter and a wild pitch grew the lead to 9-0.

After a Nolan Hull single made it a ten-run game, Lourdes finally got on the board with back-to-back two-run frames in the seventh and eighth to keep the game alive. The final three runs of the series came in the top of the ninth thanks to a fielder's choice, an error, and a ground out all coming with bases loaded.

Sinjon Bobolia (4-2) put together his strongest outing of the season in the win working six innings with one run on four hits while striking out four and ushering no free passes. For the second time, Ryan Yingst struck out the only batter he faced in relief before handing over the reigns to Jordan Davis. Davis allowed three runs on four hits over an inning and two-thirds with one strikeout and oen walk. Josh Mauney finished the final frame with the first two runners reaching on a single and an error before striking out the side to close the series.

Fabian Romero followed his impressive game one with a strong game two ending the day 5-8 at the plate with nine RBI and eight runs scored. Jake Watson and Nolan Hull finished right behind with seven and six RBI, respectively. Hull's incredible day saw him go 8-11 over the two games while Watson finished 4-10. Cesar Grau ran his hit streak up to 13 games that included his ninth multi-hit performance of that stretch in game two.

UNOH will have a one-game break from the conference slate with a trip to IU-Kokomo on Tuesday, April 7, for a single nine-inning contest. The Racers get back into the WHAC this weekend with a pair of home games against Cleary on Saturday followed by a road trip to Rochester Christian on Sunday.