The Tiffin University baseball team dropped a pair of one run games on Saturday afternoon, losing in walk-off fashion in game one, and then stranding the bases loaded in the top of the 9th to fall 6-5 in the nightcap. The Dragons still maintain a one game lead for the 6th and final spot in the GLIAC Tournament.
Game One
The Eagles got on the board in a hurry, cracking a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st to lead 1-0. Tiffin responded a half inning later, using Noah Heard's double to right center field to tie the score, and Kyle Vance's single to left field to take a 2-1 advantage.
In the top of the 4th, senior Kyle Lento smacked a run scoring double to left center field to extend Tiffin's lead to 3-1. The Eagles clawed a run closer in their half of the 4th, using a double to do so.
After Tiffin was sat down quietly in their half of the 7th, the Eagles took their turn in the last of the 7th. A single and wild pitch put the tying run at second base with one out. Then the unthinkable happened, as the Eagles launched a two run walk-off dinger to down Tiffin 4-3.
Brady Ward took the loss on the mound for Tiffin, appearing for two innings in relief. At the plate Tiffin managed only four hits, but did get run scoring hits from Noah Heard, Kyle Vance, and Kyle Lento.
Game Two
Both offenses took little time in denting the scoreboard, with the Dragons getting the party started. Jack Dennis drove home the first run of the game with a double to right center field. Noah Heard bounced a single through the right side of the infield to score Dennis and make it 2-0 TU. Ryan Thomas finished the scoring with a single back up the box to make it a 3-0 1st inning lead.
The Eagles countered with three of their own in the bottom half of the frame, doing so on two hits and an error. The Eagles took the lead in the 4th inning, cracking a two run homer to lead 5-3. Tiffin's shortstop, Kyle Vance, played long ball in the 4th inning, launching a solo shot to left field to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Eagles extended their lead with a single run in the 5th to hold a 6-4 advantage.
Alec McCurry pulled the Dragons back to within a run with a sacrifice fly to right field to trail 6-5. Neither team did any scoring in the 8th inning, but in the top of the 9th the Dragons pushed the Eagles to the brink. A single, walk, and sacrifice bunt put the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position with one out. A walk then loaded the bases after an infield pop up. With the bases loaded and two outs, and a full count the Dragons were unable to get the hit they desperately needed as the Eagles prevailed 6-5.
Starting pitcher Michael Boswell took the loss on the mound for Tiffin, falling to 2-6 on the year. At the plate, Brayden Callihan and John Heckman each collected a pair of hits, and Kyle Vance and Jack Dennis each finished with an extra base hit.
The Dragons fall to 15-26 overall and 9-16 in GLIAC play.