Game One Box l Game Two Box

Ada, Ohio – The Oberlin College baseball team found itself on the wrong end of two 3-2 decisions against Ohio Northern University on Friday afternoon.

In the lid-lifter Phil Brua (2-6) once again fell victim to some tough luck as he pitched a complete-game two-hitter and still suffered the loss. The Avon, Ohio native matched a career-high with eight strikeouts. He also walked three and hit two. The two hit batters gives him 45 in his career, which is a new NCAC record.

Brua was perfect through the front three innings, but in the fourth things took a turn for the worse. A leadoff walk followed by a hitter batter set the table for a potential big inning. Following a failed sac bunt that resulted in the lead runner being out at third, a critical Oberlin error left the bases loaded. The Polar Bears would then score on a groundout to second and would later add a big two-run double, but with the error all three of the runs were unearned.

Before the miscue Oberlin was clinging to a 2-0 lead as they plated runs in the first and third innings. The initial Yeomen run came courtesy of senior Brandon Cantrill as his double into the left center gap scored rookie Mike McDonald. In the third it was fellow senior Max Phinney who came through with a single through the right side that allowed classmate Ben Puterbaugh to come across the dish.

The Yeomen had two on and one out in the fifth, but hit into inning-ending double play. In the seventh, down 3-2, Matt Fish led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed over to second, however, the next two OC hitters flew out to end the game.

Oberlin, which had seven hits in the contest, stranded seven runners on base. McDonald was the only Yeoman with two hits in the contest.

The nightcap was another well-pitched game on both sides as senior Ryan Mouch (1-2) got the starting nod for the Yeomen against Ryan Damman (2-2). Mouch, a product of Toledo, Ohio, scattered nine hits through 4.2 innings. He walked two and struck out two. Unfortunately, he was dealt the loss despite giving up just two earned runs.

ONU (19-15) were able to post single tallies in the second, third and fourth before Oberlin was finally able to break through against Damman.

Puterbaugh's RBI single in the fifth plated freshman Kevin Verne who got on base with an infield single. In the sixth fellow rookie Steven DiNanno got things started with a two-out single and would eventually come around to score on a throwing error by the catcher.
After Brua came in to get the Yeomen out of trouble in the bottom of the sixth by recording back-to-back strike outs, the Polars Bears turned to their closer Shane Parks in the seventh in hopes he could lock down his second save of the day. He did just that as he fanned two and induced a groundball out to complete the sweep of the Yeomen.

Zach Jaspers and Puterbaugh had four of Oberlin's nine hits in the game. Like game one, the Yeomen left seven runners on base.

Oberlin (14-21) will look to get back on track when they return home to host Hiram College in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.