Balanced Outing Leads Racers in Home Opener

LIMA, Ohio – The University of Northwestern Ohio baseball team hosted the Davenport University Panthers in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference matchup which was the first in the three-game weekend series. The contest also marked the first official fall contest to be played at the St. Rita's Athletic Complex.

UNOH (4-0, 4-0 WHAC) used another offensive surge partnered with solid pitching to power to its fourth win to start the season as the Racers opened the series with a 13-0 run rule victory over the Panthers (3-1, 3-1 WHAC) in seven innings.

The scoring opened in the first inning as 2016-17's first WHAC Player of the Week, Jonathan Rodriguez, ripped an RBI double, scoring Kyle Fisher. Rodriguez later scored on a Rafael Lozada RBI.

The Racers then put four runs across the plate in the fourth followed by six more in the sixth to secure the run rule, but it was Fisher's home run in the bottom of the third that highlighted UNOH's home opener. The junior outfielder from London, Ohio launched a rocket over the batter's eye in dead center field for his second homer of the season.

The contest was also a gem by Kyle Thomas on the mound as the right-hander threw seven shutout innings while giving up just three hits. He even worked himself out of a jam when he gave up back-to-back singles in the fifth inning with two outs but got the Panthers' leadoff hitter to pop out to Rodriguez, ending the inning.

The series resumes on Sunday with a doubleheader that starts at noon. The Racers will also be hosting their inaugural Grand Slam Giveaway which gives UNOH students, staff, and faculty a chance to win various prizes.