AUBURNDALE, Fla. - One day after a hard-luck loss in 12 innings, the University of Mary baseball team found themselves once again rallying to force extra innings. This time the Marauders made sure to finish the job, celebrating a 7-6 walk-off win over the University of Findlay as
Jason Shaul crossed home plate after a defensive miscue by the Oilers.
Four Marauders pounded out three hits apiece and senior lefthander
McKeon Meyhoff dominated the game early, recording a career-high 10 strikeouts.
The Marauders opened the scoring with single runs in the third and fourth innings.
Travis Stevens walked with two outs in the third took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single through the left side by
Brad Meyer. U-Mary doubled its lead in the fourth on a two-out
Chris Scott single to score
Tom Imholte.
After allowing just two hits and striking out five in the first four innings, Meyhoff was touched for two runs in the fifth on a triple to right field by Josh Schwerer.
Meyhoff kept the Oilers bats quiet the next two innings, retiring Findlay in order in both stanzas.
Stevens and Meyer combined for the next U-Mary run. With one out Stevens singled up the middle. Meyer then blasted a double to center field to score Stevens for a 3-2 Marauders lead at the end of seven.
The Oilers touched a trio of Marauders hurlers in the eighth, scoring four times on five hits, two walks, a hit batter and an error to move ahead 6-3.
Wasting little time getting back into the game,
Tom Imholte led off with a double and moved to third on a
Mason Schiff single. A
Chris Scott sacrifice fly to scored Imholte to close the game to 6-4 before a
Jason Shaul single to center scored pinch runner
Seth Meide.
Stevens and
Sean Hennen combined to force extra innings for the Marauders. Picking up his third hit of the day, Stevens singled down the left field line to start the ninth inning. Needing a single run to keep the game alive, pinch runner
Ethan Meide took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a Meyer round out to second. Pinch hitter
Sean Hennen then tied the game on a single up the middle to score
Ethan Meide. U-Mary nearly won the game in the ninth, but Oilers right fielder Logan Harrah made a diving catch in the outfield on a line shot by Seth Meith with two outs.
Freshman
Alec DeMaria pitched a scoreless tenth inning for the Marauders to set the stage for a walkoff win in the bottom of the stanza in an unusual and unexpected fashion.
The Marauders chances looked good at the start of the inning as
Andrew Beyer singled up the middle. However, a double play eliminated Beyer from the basepaths and significantly reduced the chances of scoring a run. Ignoring the percentages,
Jason Shaul and
Ethan Meide both managed two out singles and both moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Off on contact, Shaul scored the winning run easily as
Drew Feuerbach's grounder up the middle was misplayed by Oilers' shortstop Kevin Schrock. It was his third error of the game and the fourth for Findlay.
Shaul finished the game 3-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI. Stevens was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Meyer had two doubles, two walks, two RBIs and finished 3-for-4 at the plate. Imholte was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scores
Mason Schiff posted two hits in three at bats and
Chris Scott Drove home two runs.
On the day U-Mary totaled 18 hits by nine different players.
Meyhoff finished with 10 strikeouts in 7.1 innings. His previous career-high was eight strikeouts last season. He allowed just five hits, three walks and five earned runs.
Schwerer paced Findlay with two hits and two RBIs.
U-Mary plays another single nine-inning game on Thursday, March 3, when the Marauders face West Virginia Wesleyan before wrapping up their spring trip with a doubleheader against Gannon on Friday.
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