Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Ohio Wesleyan 16, Heidelberg 13
Heidelberg 17, Ohio Wesleyan 12

Freshman catcher Matt Deskins (Mason) drove in the go-ahead run and senior third baseman Colin Stolly (Lima/Central Catholic) knocked in 3 runs as Ohio Wesleyan overcame a 10-0 deficit on the way to a win over Heidelberg in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader on Sunday at Littick Field.

The nightcap saw the Bishops put together another valiant comeback, but Heidelberg withstood the Ohio Wesleyan rally to escape with a split of the twinbill.

Heidelberg raced to an early lead in the opener, putting its first 8 batters on base.  Darrin Shirk had a 2-run single and Evan Long a 2-run double during the inning, which included 4 hits and 5 Bishop errors and ended with the Student Princes holding a 9-0 lead.  Shirk added a solo homer in the second to put the visitors ahead, 10-0.

Ohio Wesleyan chipped away at the deficit, scoring 3 times with the help of a Stolly RBI single and a sacrifice fly by senior outfielder Michael Blatchford (Shaker Heights), and drew closer in the third as freshman outfielder Cole Antle (Grove City) and Stolly had RBI singles.

The Bishops took the lead with 7 runs in the fourth, with freshman catcher Zack Stiteler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) doubling home a run, Antle and senior second baseman Matthew Messick (Dublin/Scioto) following with RBI singles, and Stolly plating a run before Deskins doubled in the go-ahead run and sophomore first baseman Canyon McWilliams (Shaker Heights) plated a run with a sacrifice fly.  Freshman shortstop Trevor Taus (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) and Blatchford drove in runs during the fifth as Ohio Wesleyan stretched its lead to 15-10.

McWilliams added an RBI single in the seventh to wrap up the Ohio Wesleyan scoring.

Antle went 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI, while McWilliams was 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.  Freshman outfielder Nick Sala (Oviedo, Fla.) reached base 3 times by being hit by a pitch, tying the school record accomplished 3 times previously.  Ohio Wesleyan batters were hit by Heidelberg pitches 6 times, tying the school record accomplished 8 times previously.

Freshman lefthander Turner Johnson (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Dell Academy) was credited with the win after working 2.0 innings of hitless relief.  Freshman righthander Ethan Soderna (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) also pitched 2.0 innings of hitless relief, and McWilliams worked a scoreless ninth to collect a save.

Justin Loserio was charged with loss in relief for the Student Princes.

In the nightcap, Shirk hit a 2-run homer during Heidelberg's 4-run first inning, Kyle Slovick had a 2-run homer during a 3-run second frame, and Joe Sefik's 2-run double capped a 5-run third inning that opened up a 12-0 lead.

Blatchford lofted a sacrifice fly to put the Bishops on the scoreboard in the third, then slammed a solo homer in the fifth.

Ohio Wesleyan rallied with 4 runs in the sixth, getting an RBI single from Sala and bases-loaded walks to Taus and Blatchford, and the Bishops added 4 more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Sala RBI single and a 2-run double by Blatchford, to pull within 17-11.

With daylight running out, Ohio Wesleyan put runners on the corners with one out and Sala followed with a bunt single to score junior catcher Dalton Henderson (Bethel/New Richmond) to make it 17-12, but that was as close as the Bishops would come, and the game was called because of darkness after 8 complete innings.

Sala was 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI, and Blatchford went 2-for-3 with 5 RBI and a run scored.

Junior righthander Tom Ryan (Columbus/St. Charles) was the starting and losing pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan.

Eric Hooper pitched the first 5.0 innings to record the win for Heidelberg.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2