Tiffin University (18-29, 15-15 G-MAC) had the bats working in a 12-8 opening game victory at Walsh but could not hold on to two late leads, falling in the nightcap 5-4 in 10 innings.
TU ripped 17 hits in the first game, with seven different players getting multiple hits. The Dragons led 9-0 after five innings, giving starter Tyler Wehrle plenty of cushion. Wehrle got the win, tossing 5.1 innings, while Aaron George also had 2.2 innings of solid relief.
The Dragons got the bats working early. Brayden Callihan walked while Zach Campbell followed with a single in the first inning. With two outs, Jack Dennis ripped a double for 2 RBI to make it 2-0. Nich Green then followed with another single for a third run.
TU kept up the pressure in the second inning, as Cody Orr doubled to drive in a run and came home himself on Callihan's RBI single to make it 5-0.
In the fourth Orr singled and John Heckman reached on a hit by pitch. Dennis then brought another run across the plate on a single, while an error at shortstop let another run in.
TU pushed its lead to 9-0 in the fifth inning when Nick Whetnall and Colin BeDell both singled and advanced up a base on an error by the catcher. Callihan then ripped a single for two more runs, giving him 3 RBI in the game.
The Dragons added some insurance runs late. In the seventh, BeDell singled and Heckman brought him home with two outs with a clutch single. TU then finished their scoring in the 9th when Heckman blasted a two-run home run after Callihan's single.
Overall Callihan had 3 hits with 3 RBI. Dennis matched him with 3 hits of his own for 3 RBI along with a double. Orr had two hits with a double, Green had 2 hits with a double for 2 RBI, Heckman stroked 2 hits with a home run with 3 RBI, and Whetnall and BeDell each had two hits.
In the nightcap, starter Michael Ross threw well, going 7 innings and allowing just one earned run, but it wasn't enough as TU failed to hold a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 7th and a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 9th. Gunnar Boehm took the loss, pitching the final 2 innings and allowing 2 earned runs.
TU got on the board in the 2nd inning, as Heckman doubled, moved to third on a grounder to short, and then scored on another grounder to short.
Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, the Dragons tied it as Heckman singled. Dennis's single then moved him to third, and he scored the tying run on a double play ball.
TU took the lead in the sixth inning. Callihan walked followed by Heckman reaching on a hit by pitch. Green then singled home the go-ahead run as TU went up 3-2.
The Dragons came close to finishing it in regulation, when they recorded two outs in the bottom of the 7th, but a Walsh double drove home the tying run and sent the game to extra innings.
TU took the lead again in the 9th when an error at short, a sacrifice, and an advance to third on an outfield fly led to a run scoring on an infield single, but Walsh again rallied to take the game to the 10th. The Cavaliers then put together four straight singles to end the game.
Orr, Callihan, and Heckman all had two hits for TU, with Callihan and Heckman getting doubles. Green had 2 RBI in the game.