April 18, 2009

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Sophomore Aaron Wick scattered four hits over 6.0 innings of work in the nightcap, allowing just one earned run and fanning eight, while senior Justin Wilson turned in a 2-for-2 effort, scoring three runs as the Oakland University baseball team (12-20, 5-6 Summit) salvaged a doubleheader split with IPFW (8-26, 1-10 Summit) on Saturday at Mastodons Field, falling 11-7 in the opener before taking a 7-1 win in the finale.

In the opener, the Mastodons chased freshman Kyle Teague after just 2.2 innings of work, scoring seven runs, all earned, on four hits. However, sophomores Mark Leichtman and Jeff Gorecki held IPFW over the next 4.1 innings, allowing just one unearned run.

OU got on the board in the fourth inning with a leadoff homer by sophomore Scott Sexton, and then tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh after a wild pitch, sacrifice fly, and an RBI double by senior Dan Ryan, to pull to within 8-4.

However, IPFW came back with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to push its lead to 11-4, and senior Rob Merkle's three-run shot in the top of the ninth provided the last of the OU offense in the loss. Ryan and Sexton both had two hits in the losing effort.

The Golden Grizzlies got on the board in the top of the first inning of game two, as Wilson scored a run on a double play. An RBI double by Wilson and an RBI single by sophomore D.J. Jarrad gave OU a 3-0 lead, and after an RBI single by Sexton in the third, OU had an early 4-0 lead.

IPFW's Chris Gottschall hit a solo homer in the sixth to pull IPFW to within 6-1, but OU came back in the seventh, using a two-run triple by Ryan and an RBI single by senior Taylor Traub to push the lead back out to 7-1.

Wilson's two hits were the most by any OU player in the game. Wick improved to 2-2 on the season with his win, while sophomore Kasey Kearcher threw a perfect seventh inning.

The fourth and final game in the series between the Mastodons and Golden Grizzlies will be played on Sunday. The game time has been moved up to noon, and could be moved earlier due to the forecast of inclement weather for the Fort Wayne area.

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