The Tiffin University baseball team bashed their way to a 17-6 game one win on Sunday afternoon, and due to the 2:50 game time for the seven inning affair, game two was called due to darkness in the 8th inning with the Cardinals ahead 15-10.
Game One
The Dragons got on the board first, plating four runs with one swing of the bat in the 2nd inning. After the first two batters of the frame made outs, two singles and a walk loaded the bases. Kyle Lento stepped to the plate and cracked a grand slam home run beyond the left field fence to put the Dragons up 4-0.
Single runs in the bottom of the 2nd and 4th pulled the Cardinals within two runs at 4-2, but the Tiffin offense was just warming up. In the 5th, the Dragons put four more runs on the board, with Alec McCurry starting the scoring with a solo shot to left field. Isaac Perry collected a RBI with a single to center field, and Kurt Barbeau pushed two runners home with a single and Cardinals' error to give Tiffin an 8-2 lead.
A two run home run in the next half inning cut the Dragons' lead in half at 8-4, but Tiffin had a few more tricks up their sleeve. Devon Fisk swiped home when Perry got caught in a run down to push Tiffin out to a 9-4 lead in the 6th. Saginaw Valley State kept chipping away, adding another run to make it a 9-5 game headed to the final inning.
In the top of the 7th, the Dragons exploded, scoring their most runs in a single inning all year. The eight runs came on four walks and five hits, including Kyle Durhams three run moon shot to left center field. At the end of the inning, The Dragons had the game well in hand, leading 17-5.
On the mound, Hunter Carson earned the win in relief, tossing only a third of an inning for his third win of the season. At the plate, there were many standouts. Kurt Barbeau notched a 3 for 4 afternoon with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Kyle Lento finished 2 for 5 with a grand slam and two runs scored, Jack Dennis was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in, and Kyle Durham's lone hit was a three run Jimmy Jack to left center field.
Game Two
If you thought the offensive explosion was just a fluke, you were wrong. The Dragons kept up their murderous pace, posting five runs in the 1st inning. A Devon Fisk run scoring single to center field gave the Dragons a 1-0 lead. Isaac Perry pushed Tiffin out to a 3-0 lead with a single through the left side of the infield scoring Fisk and McCurry. Jack Dennis figured he'd put the cherry on top in his at bat, sending a towering drive to right center field that sailed beyond the fence to make it a 5-0 lead for Tiffin.
The Cardinals plated three runs in their half of the 1st, and then the bats took a break. For four innings, pitching prevailed, but the lumber was laid again in the 5th.
Dennis continued to build upon his career day, doubling down the left field line, plating two runs and giving Tiffin a 7-3 lead. The Cardinals answered with two of their own to trail 7-5. A sac fly by McCurry and Fisk plated two more runs for Tiffin in the 6th to give Tiffin a four run cushion at 9-5.
It must have felt like an enternity from the bottom of the 6th, to the bottom of the 7th, as a combined 11 more runs were scored. The Dragons lone run came on a bases loaded walk by McCurry. The Cardinals plated 10 runs in their two at bats, doing so with six hits and two Tiffin errors to take a 15-10 lead.
The game was suspended until tomorrow at 11:00 am due to darkness. Stats and recap will be posted once the game is finished.