SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - In the much-delayed home opener, which also served as the opening round of North Coast Athletic Conference West Division play for the Tigers, Wittenberg could not get around on Denison, dropping the front and back ends of a doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 11-4. The Tigers dropped to 5-3 on the season and 0-2 in conference action.
In Game 1, the Tigers almost put it all together, but a two-run, sixth-inning rally fell short, and the seventh inning brought a game-ending double play which stranded the tying run. Junior starting pitcher Tim Antil (Brookville, Ohio/Northmont) was pegged with the loss, while sophomore Darin Mumaw (Fort Loramie, Ohio/Fort Loramie) fit in two-and-two-thirds innings of work in relief, allowing four hits and giving up one run.
Offensively, sophomore designated hitter A.J. Bush (Troy, Ohio/Troy) earned his spot in the first game, driving in all four of Wittenberg's runs on a double and a towering homer to left center. Senior catcher Matt Steinke (Wapakoneta, Ohio/St. Mary's Memorial) went two-for-two from the plate, while gunning down two would-be base stealers at second.
The second contest got out of hand quickly for the Tigers, as they allowed the Big Red to build a 5-2 lead after two innings. Denison picked up one more run in the fourth before exploding for five runs in the sixth, capitalizing on a disastrous series of four Tiger errors. Sophomore starting pitcher Bobby Ciucki (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) took the loss in this one, but on the other end of the battery, Steinke caught yet another runner stealing to total three on the day.
Junior rightfielder Patrick Williams (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) went 3-4 from the dish to make it a 5-7 day altogether, including a double and three RBI in the late game. Senior leftfielder Jeremey Fruhwirth (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek)also performed well in the second game, batting 2-3.
A second doubleheader against Denison, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed until Monday at 3 p.m., on the expectation of poor weather Friday night and through Saturday.