DAYTON, Ohio - Not shying away from NCAA Division I competition, the Wittenberg Tigers marched into the University of Dayton and gave the Flyers all they could handle in a pair of seven-inning defeats. Head Coach Jay Lewis' men dropped the opener 9-5 before nearly rallying in the second contest in a 3-2 loss.
In the first outing, senior Patrick Williams (Plainfield, Ohio/Plainfield) was a highlight reel by himself as he knocked three hits, including a two-run home run for the visitors. Sophomore Jordan Kegler (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby)took the loss for the Red and White.
Game 2 turned into a pitching classic as junior Bobby Ciucki (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) twirled a six-hit effort through his five innings of work. He allowed only two earned runs while his offense found life in the fourth. A pair of small ball runs, including an RBI sacrifice fly from Matt Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) cut the deficit to one, but the Tigers could never close the rest of the way.
The pair of losses set the Tigers at 10-15 heading into another midweek affair with Urbana University. The Blue Knights visit at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 9 for a nine-inning contest from Carleton Davidson Stadium.
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant