By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---The Express baseball team split a pair of OCCAC games against Cuyahoga Community College this afternoon at home.
Game 1: Owens 2 Cuyahoga 0
Logan Shullick had an RBI single, while Austin Cowan had an RBI double down the right field line as the Express scored the only two runs they needed in the first inning of a game one win.
Michael Fry started on the mound for the Express and went five innings to pick up the win. He allowed only two hits, while walking four and striking out three.
Sean Koerber pitched around a single in a scoreless sixth, while Dane Davis picked up the save with a 1-2-3 seventh.
Aside from those two first inning hits, Justin Elder and Nick Collins picked up the team's other two hits. Elder had the team's lone stolen base.
Cody Miller took the loss for Cuyahoga as he allowed four hits, two runs and one walk while striking out five over six innings.
Game 2: Cuyahoga 9 Owens 6
The Express were doomed by a six run fourth inning by Cuyahoga in a 9-6 loss in today's second game.
Cuyahoga scored two in the top of the first before the Express answered with two in the bottom half and three more in the second.
In the first, Shullick and Cowan teamed up once again. Shullick had a sacrifice fly, while Cowan produced an infield RBI single to first base. Elder and Nate Manis scored on each play, respectively.
In the third, Shullick delivered once again, this time with a two-run single up the middle, followed by a fielder's choice RBI groundout by Cowan. Elder, Manis and Dominic Bucci scored those three runs.
Then, after Cuyahoga's six run fourth game them an 8-5 lead, the Express cut their deficit by one-third when Manis had a fielder's choice RBI groundout in the sixth.
Cuyahoga answered with an RBI single from Brock McGivern in the seventh, though, for the final margin.
Luke Whelpton started on the mound for the Express before being pulled midway through that fourth inning. He allowed nine hits, eight runs (seven earned) and two walks, while striking out two in 3.1 innings.
Sam Hackney relieved Whelpton and pitched well over the final 3.2 innings. He allowed five hits, one run and one walk while striking out one.
Dylan Danko picked up the win in relief for Cuyahoga as his final line included five innings, four hits, one run, one walk and two strikeouts. Jared Mlady, who started and pitched the first two innings, allowed three hits, five runs and four walks while striking out two.
Shullick finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Cowan went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Benjamin Breymier was the lone Express player with two hits as he went 2-for-4. Alex Samson (1-for-3, one run) and Elder (0-for-1, two runs, three walks) also contributed offensively.
McGivern led Cuyahoga offensively with a 2-for-4, one run, three RBI game.
Notes
The same two teams will face each other again tomorrow. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
