May 15, 2010

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Freshman Mike Carson went 4-for-8 with a double and one RBI on the afternoon and sophomore right-handed pitcher Connor Mielock tossed 6.2 strong innings in the opener, striking out four and allowed just two runs in a no decision, but IPFW (15-35, 11-12) swept Oakland University (17-32, 8-14), 6-2 and 7-3, on Saturday afternoon at the OU Baseball Field. The Mastodons have won the first three games of this Summit League series.

Junior left-handed pitcher Aaron Wick (2-5) worked 6.2 innings in game two, surrendering seven hits, five runs, three earned runs and struck out two. Mielock drove in two runs for the Golden Grizzlies in the second game, finishing 1-for-2 with a double. Sophomore Tim Ryan led off the first game with a home run, his first of the season.

IPFW left-handed pitcher Nick Opitz (5-3) tossed 8.0 innings, scattering six hits and allowed two runs, one earned run, and fanned four in game one. Right-handed pitcher Samuel Walker (3-5) earned the win on the mound in the nightcap for the Mastodons, giving up seven hits, three runs and struck out five.

The opening game was a pitcher's duel between OU's Mielock and IPFW's Opitz. Mielock retired 11 straight batters until a single up the middle snapped that streak, but he went on to finish the sixth inning without allowing any further damage. Clinging to a one-run lead, 2-1, Mielock got into a little trouble in the seventh inning.

The Mastodons put runners at second and third with one out on a double, hit-by-pitch and sacrifice bunt. After back-to-back walks tied the game at 2-2, Mielock looked like he was going to get out of the jam with a ground ball to third base, but the Grizzlies were unable to turn a double play and recorded the out at home plate. Junior LHP Jake Arendsen then came in out of the bullpen and induced a pop out to shortstop to record the final out to keep the score tied.

Junior RHP Mark Leichtman (1-5) then entered the game for OU in the eighth inning and allowed two runs in the eighth inning on a wild pitch and ground out to second base by Kurt Dudley. The `Dons then scored two more in the ninth inning as defensive replacement Cody Galbraith homered to right field to drive in the final runs of the game.

OU scored two runs, on six hits and had one error, while IPFW scored six runs, on seven hits and committed one error.

Oakland once again struck for a run in the first inning of the nightcap as Ryan led off with a base hit, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Carson.

IPFW would strike for two runs in the second inning and four more with two outs in the third inning, courtesy of a three-run home run off the bat of Dudley as the Grizzlies trailed by five, 6-1.

Oakland then loaded the bases with no outs but IPFW's Walker looked like he was going to get out of the inning with no damage on a force out at home plate and a strike out. Mielock then delivered a double down the first-base line that went right over the base to plate two runs and cut the deficit to three, 6-3, after three complete innings.

Neither team managed a run in the next three innings until the Mastodons scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning and Scott Micinski tossed a scoreless bottom half of the inning for IPFW to edge the Golden Grizzlies by four.

The Golden Grizzlies scored three runs, on seven hits and committed two errors, while IPFW had seven runs, seven hits and no errors.

The fourth and final game of this Summit League series will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. The game can be followed on OUgrizzlies.com.

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