Baseball splits with Saint Joseph (Conn.) 9-4 and 6-5 in second day of spring break trip.

DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Ohio Northern baseball team continued its 12-game spring break trip with a double header split withSaint Joseph (Conn.) on Sundaynight., winning 9-4 in eight innings in the opener, and losing 6-5 in the nightcap.

The Basics

• Records: Ohio Northern (5-2 overall), Saint-Joseph (4-2 overall).
• Venue: NERP Field #4, Davenport, Fla.

Game One - W, 9-4 (8 inn.)

• Ohio Northern trailed 3-0 going into the 6th inning, but rallied scoring 4 runs in the inning including a 2-run single by junior Sam Sells (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) which gave them the lead. 
• In the top of the eighth, sophomore Kyle Callahan (Brunswick) delivered a two-out, base hit to make it 6-4,
• Junior Chase Armstrong (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) piled onto to the Polar Bear lead with a 3-run homer to right field on the next play. 
• Senior Blake Peterson (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) picked up the win behind 4.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs and a single hit. 

Game Two - L, 5-6

• The Polar Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI from Armstrong in the third.
• After USJ tied the game in the top half of the 4th, ONU answered with 4 runs in the bottom, including a 2 RBI double from sophomore Evan Russ (Westfield, Ind.) and an RBI each from junior Robbie Reed (Goshen, Ky./Trinity) and Callahan.
• Saint Jospeh applied pressure and scored three in the top half of the fifth, and took the lead 6-5 in the top of the 7th.
• Senior Blake Altaffer (Montpelier) threw 5.0 innings with 8 strikeouts.
• USJ out-hit ONU 11-5.

Notables

• Armstrong and sophomore Devin Morris (Archbold) led the Polar Bear offense with three hits apiece on the day.
• The all-time series between Northern and Saint Joseph (Conn.) is even at 1-1.
• Through 7 games this season, sophomore Evan Russ (Westfield, Ind.) leads the Polar Bears with a .591 batting average, going 13-for-22 with 10 RBI.
• Senior Andrew Stechschulte (Findlay) now has 89 base hits in 93 career games putting him just 11 hits away from the 100-hit club.
• Armstrong now has 89 base hits in 81 career games putting him just 11 hits away from the 100-hit club.
• Ohio Northern is in its 120th season of baseball. The Polar Bears are 1471-1156-20 all-time, a winning percentage of .560.
• 14th-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is now 283-208 at Ohio Northern for a winning percentage of .577.

Up Next

• The Polar Bears will continue its spring break trip on Monday with a 3:30 pm game against Beloit (Wis.)