The Tiffin University baseball team hung with the top seeded Northwood University Timberwolves in their GLIAC Tournament game on Thursday morning, but Northwood eventually pulled away from Tiffin to win 9-3. The Dragons allowed five runs over the course of the final three innings, after trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the 7th.
The Timberwolves got on the board to open the game, using two hits and a walk to hold a 1-0 advantage after an inning of play. The Timberwolves added on in the 3rd, stringing together three hits, two of which were for extra bases to plate a pair of runs and hold a 3-0 lead.
Tiffin took advantage of a Northwood miscue in the 4th, and kickstarted their offense to plate a pair of runs. After a throwing error enabled Ryan Thomas to reach, Nich Green doubled to put two aboard. Brayden Callihan duplicated Green's feat with a two-bagger down the right field line to pull Tiffin to within a run at 3-2.
The double continued to be Tiffin's best friend, using one from Alec McCurry in the top of the 4th to put the tying run on base. Noah Heard followed suit with a double to right field to tie the score at 3-3. Northwood squeaked home a run on a sacrifice fly in their half of the 5th to take a one run lead at 4-3.
The bottom of the 7th was the beginning of the end for Tiffin, as the Dragons allowed Northwood to score three runs on four hits and a hit batter to hold a 7-3 lead. The bottom half of the 8th wasn't much better for the Tiffin hurlers, as Northwood tacked on two more runs with four more hits to hold a 9-3 lead.
The Dragons had their chances offensively throughout the game, stranding a total of 12 runners, seven of which came in the first four innings. Starting pitcher, Michael Boswell took the loss on the mound, lasting 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs on seven hits. At the plate, Alec McCurry and Brayden Callihan accounted for seven of Tiffin's 11 hits. Callihan finished 4 for 5 with two RBIs and McCurry went 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Tiffin falls to 16-28 overall and will be back in action at the tournament tomorrow against either Davenport or Grand Valley State.