The Tiffin University baseball team fell 17-14 to Malone University on Wednesday, as the two teams combined for 31 runs and 40 hits, playing the nine inning affair in a little over four and a half hours.
It was a promising start for the Dragons on the offensive end, scoring five runs over the course of the first two innings. The Dragons scored their first run on a John Heckman double that just missed clearing the wall in the opening frame. In the second, Kyle Vance knocked in a pair of runs with a single to give Tiffin a 3-1 lead. Cody Orr followed Vance with a double to make it a 4-1 game. Another Heckman double plated the final run of the frame to give Tiffin a 5-1 lead.
The Pioneers took advantage of the gusty weather at Heminger Field, scoring 13 runs over the course of the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings. Trailing 8-6 headed to the bottom of the 5th, Tiffin got the ball rolling again, using the long ball to do so. Kyle Vance cracked a solo shot to left field to make it a one run game, and Cody Orr followed with a blast to left field that tied the game at 8-8. Tiffin then took the lead with Zach Campbell's run scoring single to make it 9-8.
It would be the last time Tiffin would hold a lead in the game, seeing Malone plate a combined seven runs in the 6th and 7th to hold a 15-9 advantage. Tiffin inched closer with three runs in the bottom of the 7th, scoring three runs to pull to within three runs at 15-12. Cody Orr started the scoring with a single to left field to plate the first run of the frame. Campbell followed with a single to score the second run, and Heckman stayed hot with a sacrifice fly to complete the scoring in the 7th.
Malone plated a pair of runs in the 8th to push their lead to 17-12. The Dragons never gave up offensively, threatening in the bottom of the 9th. After a lead off walk, and a pitching change, John Heckman capped off his monster day with a moon shot that landed on the roof of the locker room way beyond the left field fence to bring his RBI total to six for the game. Tiffin then put two more runners aboard with one out, but were unable to push any more runs to the plate as they fell 17-14.
It was an offensive explosion for Tiffin, setting season highs in runs and hits. John Heckman finished the day 3 for 4 with a run scored and six runs batted in. Zach Campbell was the table setter for Tiffin, collecting three hits, two walks, two runs batted in, and a run scored. Jack Dennis finished with three hits and two runs scored, and Kyle Vance also posted three hits with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Cody Orr equaled Vance's numbers, posting three hits, three runs scored, and three runs batted in, including his first collegiate home run.
The mound was a different story for Tiffin, surrendering 13 earned runs on 22 hits and eight walks. Peyton Clift took the loss in relief, allowing four runs in two innings of work.
Tiffin falls to 9-18 overall, and will have little time to think about the loss, taking on Wayne State a day earlier than expected. The Dragons will play their four game set with the Warriors on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.