The Tiffin University baseball team, entering play 8-2 in their last 10 games, added two more wins to their season total. The Dragons relied on relief pitching in game one, winning 6-3. In the nightcap, Tiffin had to bash their way past the Panthers 15-12.
Game One
The Panthers lived up to their stat line in the 1st inning, swatting a solo home run in the 1st inning to take a 1-0 lead. Tiffin, having done so all season long, fought back to regain the lead. Singles by Brayden Callihan and Jack Dennis put two on with nobody out. A sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, and Isaac Perry gave Tiffin a 2-1 lead with a single to right field.
Ohio Dominican added two runs in the 3rd to take a 3-2 advantage, but it didn't last long. Tiffin exploded for three runs in the top of the 4th to lead 5-3. Once again, it was the combination of Dennis and Callihan that got the ball rolling to start the frame. A bunt single by Kyle Durham loaded the bases for old reliable, Isaac Perry. With a two run single to his credit already, Perry duplicated what he did earlier, punching a single to left center field to tie the score at 3-3. Kurt Barbeau then reached on a fielder's choice to give Tiffin a 4-3 lead. The final run came off the bat of Jay Smith, singling through the right side to give Tiffin a 5-3 advantage.
Smith gave Tiffin an insurance run in the 6th, lofting a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 6-3. Michael Boswell, having entered the game in relief, finished off the Panthers to give the Dragons their 27th win of the year.
Boswell earned the win with four innings of work, moving to 5-2 overall. At the plate, Jack Dennis chalked up a 3 for 4 performance with two runs scored. Isaac Perry finished with two hits and three runs batted in, and Callihan and Kyle Lento both added a pair of hits.
Game Two
It was old time Tiffin baseball in game two, compiling 15 runs on 21 hits.
After a quiet first inning on both sides, the Dragons rang the bell eight times in the top of the second, plating their runs on nine hits. Kyle Durham gave Tiffin a 2-0 lead with a double to left center field. Jack Dennis then singled to put runners at first and third for John Heckman. The Dragons' shortstop slapped a triple to center field to make it 4-0 Tiffin. Kurt Barbeau singled Heckman home to make it 5-0, and Jay Smith's triple pushed Tiffin out to a 7-0 advantage. Smith was pushed to the plate by Ryan Thomas with a single down the left field line to give Tiffin an eight run cushion.
Tiffin added another run an inning later, using a single and an error to put a runner at third base. Kyle Lento drove the runner home with a solid single to give Tiffin a 9-0 lead.
The old adage of no lead is ever safe was apparent a half inning later, when the Panthers scored four runs to cut their deficit to 9-4. The Panthers continued to chip away, plating four more runs in the bottom of the 5th to make it 9-8 Tiffin.
The Dragons kicked it into gear in the 6th, scoring five more times to lead 14-8. Devon Fisk started the scoring with a single to right field, scoring Jay Smith. With a runner at third, Fisk swiped second, and came home on Kyle Durham's single to left field. John Heckman doubled home Durham, and Heckman came home to roost on Mitch Anderson's single.
In the 8th, Tiffin added one more run for good measure. Fisk singled, moved to second on a sac bunt, and scored on a Jack Dennis single to give Tiffin a comfy 15-8 margin.
The Panthers wouldn't go quietly, scoring four runs in the bottom of the 8th to trail 15-12. In the bottom of the 9th, Head Coach Joe Wilkins called upon his stopper to seal the deal. Kevin Borst allowed one hit in the last inning, but got the job done to earn his 10th save of the season.
Brady Ward was the winning pitcher for Tiffin, moving to 1-1 on the season. At the plate, Tiffin had eight players collect two or more hits. Kyle Lento led the charge with four hits, a run scored, and a run batted in. Kyle Durham was the leading run producer with four runs batted in. Devon Fisk was the leading run scorer, crossing the plate three times.
Tiffin moves to 28-19 overall and 20-10 in GLIAC play. The Dragons are in 3rd place all by their lonesome, and sit only a half game out of second place. The Dragons have the second most wins in GLIAC play with 20, and are within two games of becoming only the second Tiffin team in 49 years to win at least 30 games.