DAYTON, Ohio - The Golden Grizzlies record-setting season came to an end in the first round of the Horizon League Championship Tournament as it fell to the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons, 14-8, tonight at Nischwitz Stadium.
 
The No. 3-seed Golden Grizzlies (31-27, 18-12 HL) saw Brandon Heidal and Brandon Nigh record a pair of RBI as four batters had two hits each. Hunter Pidek led the pitching core in strikeouts as five of the six outs recorded with him on the mound were strikeouts.
 
The No. 5-seed Mastodons (19-36, 11-19 HL) were led by Cade Fitzpatrick who batted in four runs as both Jacob Walker and Nate Simpson had a trio of hits. Carson Caudill led the Mastodon pitchers with three strikeouts.
 
The Mastodons got off to a quick start as a walk and a triple brought home a run, but Hunter Pidek dialed in and struck out the next three batters to keep the runner stranded. The Golden Grizzlies answered in a big way as Gavin Arseneau put himself on base and was brought home after Brandon Nigh blasted one out-of-the-park to take a 2-1 lead after one. The lead didn't last though as the Mastodons tallied seven runs in the inning to go ahead, 8-2.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne made it 9-2 in the fourth, but the Golden Grizzlies had an opportunity to convert during its at-bats with the bases loaded and no outs. Carter Hain drove in a run, but the Mastodons turned a double play on the same hit, followed by a fly out, to make it a 9-3 game. The Mastodons always had an answer, however, as two more runners crossed the plate the following inning to increase its lead to eight. Runs were held at bay, however, as the Golden Grizzlies forced the third out with the bases loaded.
 
Oakland wouldn't count itself out though as its first two batters were forced out in the fifth but proceeded to rally with two down. Nigh and Ian Cleary were walked as Brandon Heidal continued his season-long hot streak and drove the pair in with a double, as he found home off a John Lauinger single. Once again though, the Mastodons answered with one to make it a six-run game and grabbed three outs in the bottom of the seventh to give Oakland only six more outs to make a comeback.
 
The Golden Grizzlies comeback started too late as Ben Clark and Cleary recorded back-to-back doubles in the ninth to bring in a pair of runs, but the Mastodons forced the final out as Oakland fell, 14-8.
 
The Mastodons outhit the Golden Grizzlies, 14-11, as Oakland committed the only errors on the night with two. Purdue Fort Wayne left seven more runners stranded with its 13, as it recorded two more extra base hits than Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies tallied eight strikeouts compared to the Mastodons seven, as seven Golden Grizzlies recorded at least a hit, compared to the Mastodons eight.