Racers Complete Sweep of Aquinas with Back-to-Back Shutouts
Location: Lima, Ohio (Racer Field)
Scores: #RV UNOH 7, Aquinas 0; UNOH 2, Aquinas 0
Records: UNOH (18-6, 6-0 WHAC); Aquinas (3-12, 0-6)
LIMA, Ohio – It is not often that you see a pitcher carry a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a college baseball game, but that is exactly what University of Northwestern Ohio left-hander Ryan Burns did in game two of a double-header against Aquinas College on Sunday afternoon.
Burns shined on the mound in the second contest of the day, helping the Racers pick up a weekend series sweep of the Saints with shutouts of 7-0 and 2-0 at a chilly Racer Field on Sunday.
UNOH broke into the score column in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single from Ryan Lozada, and after a stolen base, a wild pitch, and a walk, Kyle Fisher executed a beautiful squeeze bunt, pushing the ball down the first base line for the sacrifice, and the Racers led 2-0. Zyler Cosby followed with an RBI base knock later in the frame to stretch the Racers' lead to 3-0, a margin which UNOH would hold into the seventh frame.
Jhonniel Alvarez picked up an RBI in the seventh inning on a fielder's choice that scored Jose Cruz, and in the eighth, UNOH scored three times, including once on a double-steal executed perfectly by Cosby and Cruz, to take the 7-0 win.
On the mound, Ruben Medina (4-2) pitched into some trouble early, but he was able to wriggle off the hook in each of the first four innings and stranding nine Saints' baserunners in his five innings of work. Medina allowed eight hits in his appearance, but did not walk a batter and struck out eight. Ryan Carter pitched very well in relief, tossing four innings and yielding two hits with one strikeout to earn the save (1). Bryan Litzner (1-1) took the loss for the Saints.
Alvarez (2-for-4), Cruz (2-for-4), Cosby (2-for-3), and Alex Leach (2-for-4) each had multi-hit games, and Leach had a double – the Racers' only extra base knock. The Racers stole seven bases in the game, they had seven different players score runs, and six batters pick RBIs.
Game two saw Burns take to the hill, and from the outset, he was the story. He retired the side in order in the first, and though he allowed a leadoff walk to start the second frame, he recovered and began to dominate. He retired 15 batters in a row, and after the sixth inning, he carried a no-hitter with a 2-0 lead.
Burns came out for the seventh, and his day came to an end quickly as he hit the leadoff batter, and the Racers' went to the bullpen for closer John Schreiber. Schreiber retired the first two men he faced, moving to within an out of the combined no-hitter, but Mark Lepri was ruled safe on a grounder into the hole at shortstop, and because the ball was not misplayed, it was the Saints' first hit. Schreiber, though, recovered to strikeout pinch-hitter Ben Walton, completing the combined shutout and the series sweep with a 2-0 win.
Burns (2-1) earned the victory, walking one, hitting a batter, and striking out two in six innings of work. Schreiber (7) fanned two in his inning to earn his second save of the weekend and move to within one save of the Racers' single season record. The loss went to Christian Potter (0-2), who threw the complete game, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, and two walks while picking up two strikeouts.
Cory Cook had a pair of singles and an RBI, and Cosby was 2-for-2, Randal Muhlenkamp picked up an RBI, and Brett Akins and Carlos Baerga, Jr. scored runs.
UNOH will return to action on Saturday, March 28, hosting the Marygrove College Mustangs (2-15, 1-5 WHAC) for a weekend series in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The teams will play double-headers on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. both days.