On a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon in southwestern Ohio, the Golden Eagles baseball team fought valiantly against USCAA No. 14 ranked Miami Middletown but dropped a double header as the two teams combined for 39 runs and 45 hits.
In the first game, the Golden Eagles matched the Thunderhawk hitters with ten hits, and although nearly one-half of KSU Tusc's total were extra base hits, it wasn't enough to overcome an early deficit in a 10-8 loss.
Scottie Sauernheimer led with way going 2/3 in the box and accounted for half of KSU Tusc's run total knocking in four runs. He drilled a three-run homer over the left field fence in the fifth inning, while Andrew Powell smacked a triple and a double and scored three times in three at-bats, and Braden Rostad collected two singles.
Middletown scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in each of the second, third and fourth innings as they built a 10-3 lead. Tusc got three back on the strength of Sauernheimer's long ball after Powell doubled and Caleb Salgado reached via a walk to close the gap to 10-6.
Rostad singled to lead off the sixth, moved to second on a passed ball and took third on a ground out. He scored on an infield groundout and despite having runners occupying second and third with just one out the Eagles failed to pick up another run.
KSU Tusc plated another run with one out in the top of the seventh to pull within 10-8, but stranded a runner at first to end the game. They managed to hit the ball in play 25 times and left 10 runners on base.
There were only four hits and a single run through 2.5 innings of the final game, but that was before MUM---already clinging to a 1-0 lead---exploded for eight runs in the home half of the third inning and hung on for a 13-8 win.
A homerun, two triples, a pair of singles and four walks allowed 12 Thunderhawks to step into the batter's box during an eight-run inning that vaulted them to a 9-0 lead.
Not to be outdone, KSU Tusc put together their first multi-hit frame of the game in the fourth scoring five times on four hits. It couldn't have come at a better time as the first four Golden Eagles reached base safely and got from doubles by Caleb Campbell, Brogan Burcher and Steve Michniak to go along with a Braydon Maine single and two Middletown errors as they fought back to a 9-5 score.
A solo homer put MUM up 10-5 in the bottom of the inning, but the Eagles bounced back scoring a pair of runs on a Josh Leonard single, a Maine two-bagger along with a two-out, two-RBI triple by Caleb Salgado to make the score 10-7.
The Thunderhawks added a pair of runs in their half of the inning and Burcher crossed the plate after smacking his second double of the game for the Eagles, as the number of at-bats dwindled to a precious few with KSU behind 12-8.
Campbell led the Eagles going ¾ at the plate, while Leonard (2 singles), Maine (double & single), Burcher (2 doubles) and Michniak (2 doubles) all had multi-hit games for KSU Tusc. Salgado knocked in two runs with a triple.
On Saturday, the Eagles wrap up their season with a double header at TCCHS against Lorain County CC with the first pitch at 12pm.
Diving back safely is Steve Michniak who had a pair of doubles in the second game at Middletown.
Caleb Campbell spent time on the bump and was 3/4 at the plate in game two versus the Thunderhawks.
(File photos by Lindsay Nicholson)