Box Score l Photo Gallery

Oberlin, Ohio – The visiting Ohio Northern University Polar Bears spoiled Senior Day for the Oberlin College baseball team as they cruised to an 8-3 win over the Yeomen in what was the final game for seniors Jack Dunn and Zach Berman, and Head Coach Eric Lahetta.

“It has been a pleasure to be the head coach here for the last 13 seasons,” Lahetta said following the ball game. “We have done some special things and I have built many great relationships along the way. The program will be in great shape next season with Adrian (Abrahamowicz) taking over and I look forward to my new role in athletics administration.”

Dunn, who is the all-time leader in wins with 16, got the start on the bump in search of one more, but the Polar Bears didn't make it easy on him as they touched him up for 10 hits. While he was living dangerously all game long it wasn't till a critical error in the fourth inning that led to his undoing as just three out of the seven runs he allowed were earned.

In his final game in the crimson and gold, the southpaw from Lake Havasu, Arizona, worked six-plus innings – throwing 117 pitches (66 strikes) – while fanning two and walking three.

Berman got the starting nod in left field and went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Things started off good for the Yeomen who finished their season at 18-19 overall. In the first Ben Puterbaugh's one-out single to right field scored Ben Kauder and an error in right field resulted in Puterbaugh going all the way to third base. However, a failed suicide squeeze bunt resulted in Puterbaugh being cut down at the plate and effectively short-circuited the inning.

ONU (24-10) scratched out a run in the second thanks to a failed run-down situation that ended with runners at second and third with one out.

However, the Yeomen would answer right back as junior Pat Bourke came through with a single through the right side – sending Eric Knight across the dish.

From that point on the Yeomen couldn't really string anything together, while ONU used five hits and one OC miscue to post five runs in the fourth. The big hit in the inning came courtesy of Brett Katana who belted a two-out bases-loaded double to the gap in right-center that resulted in three unearned runs coming across the plate.

ONU added single tallies in the sixth and seventh.

Brandon Cantrill hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the eighth, but it was just too little too late for the Yeomen to complete the comeback.

Kauder, Cantrill and Max Phinney each had two hits for the Yeomen.

Oberlin will now look to next season with a special group of rising-seniors and a core of young talent that could lead to a great 2011 campaign.