Racers Roll Over Aquinas in Doubleheader Sweep

LIMA, OH - UNOH baseball pushed their winning streak up to twelve games Saturday afternoon with a convincing doubleheader sweep over Aquinas. The Racers used a seven-run fifth to run away from the Saints in game one, 12-3, before posting another seven-run frame to open game two in a 12-1 run-rule victory.

UNOH had some assistance scoring their first run of the day after two hit batters, a passed ball, and a wild pitch opened the home first. That pattern continued through the next two innings as the Racers plated two in each frame to take a 5-1 lead after three on just two hits. Aquinas pulled the game tight with a run in the fourth and the fifth but UNOH came alive in the bottom of the fifth to blow the game open. The Racers strung together three hits, two walks and a hit batter to bring in the first four before Noah Matheson ripped a three-run shot down the right field line to cap the game one scoring.  

Daniel Healy (4-1) went the required four innings to earn the win allowing three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Jeremy Yurcak worked out of a jam in the fifth to log one inning of relief work with Dean Sommer finishing the final two innings without a run giving up four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

The Racer momentum that ended game one carried into game two as they sat the Saints down in order in the top of the first and exploded for another seven-run inning in the bottom. A lead off walk started the cascade followed by a triple and a single that scored the first two runs. With the bases loaded, UNOH produced two more singles and a double that finished off the scoring and put the Racers up big early, 7-0. Despite the early offense, the game dried up for both teams as they combined to produce just one hit over the next two and a half innings. Noah Matheson broke the drought with his second home run of the day coming with two outs in the home fourth. The Racers put together another multi-hit inning to end the day logging three singles in the sixth that fueled a four-run inning and put them up 12-0. One out away from the shutout win, an error gave the Saints their only run of the game but the next batter was struck out in turn to finish off the sweep.

The late error broke up a complete game shutout for Elida product Brayden Lybarger (4-1), but he put together his strongest outing of the season regardless going six and two-thirds with one unearned run on just two hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Eliott Traver entered in the seventh and struck out the only batter he faced to finish the game.

Noah Matheson had an impressive day at the plate going 4-8 with four RBI over the two games. Nolan Hull also posted a four-RBI day finishing 2-6 at the dish. Both Matheson and Hull extend their hittings streaks to a team-leading ten games with Matheson logging multiple hits in six of those ten games.

UNOH will make their first conference road trip on Sunday when they travel to Madonna before returning home to host six straight games.