It was a frigid weekend in Springfield, and unfortunately the action on the field played out in a disappointing fashion for the Tiger baseball team, which dropped three of four North Coast Athletic Conference West Division games to Wabash College at the Municipal Stadium Annex.
The weekends opener may have set the tone. After the game was delayed by two hours due to heavy rains overnight on Friday, the Tigers took a 5-3 lead into the seventh inning. But with two outs, the Little Giants struck for three runs on four straight hits to shock the Tigers and claim a 6-5 win. Five Wittenberg players had multi-hit games in the defeat, led by freshman shortstop K.R. Schlievert (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay), who put together three hits in as many appearances and scored two runs in the leadoff spot.
In the Saturday nightcap, the Tigers fell behind 6-0 in the second inning, rallied for nine runs in the bottom of that inning and then allowed the Little Giants to move back ahead 13-9 in the third inning. Wittenberg chipped away at the lead, but get no closer than 13-11 in the defeat. Schlievert had two hits, two runs and three runs batted in and sophomore Tom Pickering (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) added three hits and two runs, but the Tigers missed numerous opportunities to score more.
On Sunday, it started out as more of the same for the hard-luck Tigers, who committed three errors leading to three unearned runs in a 6-3 defeat as the snow flurries swirled around overhead. Sophomore Brandon Godzik (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) went 3-for-4 in the game, but the Tigers left seven runners on base in the seven-inning game.
The Tigers finally got back into the win column in the Sunday series finale, but even that victory had its tense moments. After Wittenberg sprinted out to an 8-2 lead, on the strength of three-hit games by Godzik and senior Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant), but then had to stave off another Little Giant rally to win 8-6. Junior pitcher Jason Flick (Hamilton, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick) pitched two innings of shutout relief to save the game and the series for the Tigers.
Statistically, the Tigers lead the NCAC in batting with a robust .377 average, and Born leads the conference individually with a .545 average. Godzik ranks second in the NCAC in that category and Schlievert checks in at No. 5. Godzik leads the conference in hits (33), runs (28), total bases (62) and home runs (7).
The best news of the week was that it is still early in the 2003 season and there will be a total of 16 NCAC West Division games played this year. The Tigers are currently two games behind Wabash and nationally ranked defending NCAC champion Ohio Wesleyan in the standings. This week will be a busy one for the Tigers, but it will not include any West Division games.
April 1st, 2003: Baseball Review
Posted: Apr 01, 2003