UNOH Completes Series Sweep of Aquinas

LIMA, OH - After UNOH took the first two games of the series on Saturday, they swiped another pair of victories on Sunday to complete a four-game season sweep of Aquinas. It is the first time since 2016 that the Racers have beaten the Saints four times in a single season winning 11-6 in game three and 9-2 in the series finale.

UNOH had to come from behind three different times in Sunday's opener after trailing 2-1, 3-2 and 5-4. They scored single runs in the first and the third but Aquinas put up two in the second and one in the fourth to stay on top. The Racers hung their first crooked number of the day in the home half of the fourth thanks to a lead off home run by Tyler Huff, his third of the year, and a two-out RBI single from Nolan Hull. The two runs put UNOH on top for the first time, 4-3, but a two-run shot for the Saints in the top of the sixth put them back in front again.

After two outs on the first three batters in the bottom half, the pitching fell apart for Aquinas hitting three different batters and walking another setting up the biggest inning of the day for either team. With three runs already across and bases loaded, Casey Barnes stepped to the plate and blasted a no-doubter to left field for his first career grand slam and an 11-5 lead. The Saints got one back with two down in the seventh, but the next batter dribbled back to the pitcher for an easy out to finish the game.

Elida product Jordan Davis (2-1) claimed the win as the pitcher in charge when the lead changed hands the final time. He tossed the last two and two-thirds innings allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Sinjon Bobolia worked an inning and a third off the start followed but two-thirds of a frame by Carter Hicks and two and a third from Josh Mauney. 

The first run of the nightcap didn't come until the home third when Zach Grigalis drove in Jake Watson with a perfectly placed ball through the right side of the infield. It was one of just two total hits for the Racers through four innings of play but that number changed quickly in the fifth and sixth innings. Over the two frames, UNOH logged eight total hits, including three doubles, that worked across eight more runs for a comfortable 9-0 lead. An error in the eighth and ninth innings cost the Racers two unearned runs but they held Aquinas to just a single hit in each of their last three at bats to claim the series sweep.

Another Elida product, Brayden Lybarger (1-4), earned his first win of the year in game two with a strong six and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball. In his best outing of the campaign, Lybarger scattered just four hits over almost seven frames walking three and striking out a season high eight batters. Perry graduate Ryan Yingst struck out the only batter he faced to get out of the seventh before Aidan Nugent finished off the last two innings with two hits, two strikeouts and a walk.

Zach Grigalis ended the day 3-7 with two RBI to conclude another stellar series for the sophomore first baseman. Over the four games, the number two hitter in the NAIA went 8-15 for a .533 average while driving in a team high seven RBI. Eliomar Otero and Cesar Grau also logged impressive weekends with four doubles, three triples and eleven RBI between them. Otero added a couple home runs to his resume finishing the series with a 1.188 slugging percentage while Grau ended with a .737 on base percentage thanks to an additional six walks to go along with his six hits. The trio was also locked in defensively over the four games combining for a .988 fielding percentage with 65 putouts and 16 assists on 82 total chances.

UNOH will be off until next weekend when head to Lourdes for another four-game series on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4. The Racers then take a brief respite from conference play with a single, nine-inning game at IU-Kokomo before returning home to face Cleary.