By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College baseball team split a pair of games against No. 3 Sinclair Community College at home on Friday to open Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play.
With the split, Owens is now 16-8 overall and 1-1 in OCCAC play, while Sinclair is 35-4 overall and 9-1 in OCCAC play. The two teams will meet twice more on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Owens d. No. 3 Sinclair 6-3
In the's first game, the top three batters in the lineup for Owens combined to hit 10-for-12 with four runs and three RBI. At the top, Casey Gose (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio) went 4-for-4 with a pair of runs, while Jake Schmeltz (Eastwood/Perrysburg, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and Ty Suntken (Wauseon/Wauseon, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with three RBI.
After Robbie Bekier (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) retired the visitors 1-2-3 in the top half of the first, the Owens offense loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half. That's when Devin Dubbert (Perkins/Sandusky, Ohio) worked an 0-2 count into a bases loaded walk to give Owens an early lead.
Owens had a chance to extend their lead in the third after Dubbert's double down the left field line put two runners in scoring position, but back-to-back groundouts ended the inning. Then, in the next half inning, Sinclair's Ben Myers tied the game with a two-out RBI single. They threatened for more, but Bekier started a 1-2-3 double play ended the inning. Schmeltz made a tough snag of a throw in the dirt to complete the double play.
The next couple innings featured back-and-forth action. In the home half of the fourth, Gose and Schmeltz singled with one out, and an error advanced both runners into scoring position to set up a two-run single to right center by Suntken as Owens took a 3-1 lead.
In the next half inning, though, Sinclair's Tyler Cowles blasted a two-run home run to left center to tie the game up once again.
Owens would ultimately plate three runs in the sixth inning to provide the winning margin. With the bases loaded, Schmeltz hit a low line drive to second base. The ball was mishandled, which led to a pair of runs. Suntken followed with another RBI hit to make it 6-3.
After Bekier allowed a one out single in the sixth, Hunter Kraynak (Portage/Portage, Ind.) relieved him and closed out the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Zach Souter (Huron/Huron, Ohio) reached via an error in the sixth, but was stranded as Owens failed to tack on any insurance runs. It wouldn't matter, though, as Kraynak allowed just one runner in the top of the seventh before striking out the final batter to pick up his first save of the season.
Bekier picked up the win on the mound. In 5.1 innings, he allowed eight hits, three runs and two walks while striking out four. Kraynak didn't allow a hit or a walk in 1.2 innings while striking out three.
Meanwhile, Owens handed Alex Anders his first loss of the season. The left-handed sophomore allowed 13 hits, six runs (three earned) and four walks in five innings while falling to 5-1 this year.
Myers led Sinclair at the plate with a 3-for-3, one RBI game.
Game 2: No. 3 Sinclair d. Owens 5-4 (9 innings)
The Owens pitching staff held Sinclair to just three hits, but they walked 12 as Sinclair pulled out the extra inning win to split the doubleheader.
Owens starter Michael Finch (Norwalk/Norwalk, Ohio) retired the first two batters of the game, but two walks, a throwing error and another walk with the bases loaded gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
Owens had a chance to tie the game in the second inning, but Jake Wichlacz (Eisenhower/Macomb, Mich.) was thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.
Sinclair's Brody Basilone took advantage of the momentum swing and knocked in a run scoring single through the left side in the third to bump his team's lead to 2-0.
A leadoff walk turned into a pickoff for Owens in the home half of the third, but the team broke through for a pair of runs in the fourth inning to tie the game. With two outs and Wichlacz on first after picking up a walk, Nick Wolfe (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio) roped an RBI triple to left center. He then scored on a wild pitch during the next at bat to tie it up.
Myers and Kidd answered with a pair of RBI producing at bats in the fifth to make it 5-3. Owens was able to get one back in the home half on an RBI infield single from Wichlacz, but Schmeltz was thrown out at the plate trying to score the tying run.
Then, in the sixth, Owens loaded the bases with two outs to set up an RBI walk from Schmeltz to tie the game.
The game headed to extras where neither team scored until a fielder's choice RBI grounder from Myers gave Sinclair the lead in the ninth. Schmeltz produced a one out single and stole second in the home half, but he was stranded to end the game.
Five batters for Owens picked up at least one hit, led by Wolfe who finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
On the mound, Finch allowed one hit, two runs (one earned) and five walks over three innings. Noah Pierce (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) relieved him for 1.2 innings and allowed one hit, two runs and two walks. Damian Clarke (Waterdown District/Carlisle, Ontario, Canada) then tossed 4.1 innings and allowed just one hit, but walked five and took the loss. He fell to 4-3 on the season.
Travis Rowland, who went the final 3.1 innings, struck out four and allowed just one hit and two walks to help his team pick up its 35th win. He improved to 2-0 on the year with the victory.
Notes
Sinclair came into the first game as winners of 21 of their past 22 games. On the other side, Owens has now won 11 of its past 15 games.
Owens was 0-10 last year vs Sinclair and had lost 17 of its past 18 against them coming into Friday's doubleheader.
Two key areas that hurt Owens on Friday including getting four runners thrown out at the plate and having three players picked off of first.