ONU USES AN OFFENSIVE UNSLAUGHT AND SOLID PITCHING TO SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER AT SAINT AMBROSE

DAVENPORT, Iowa. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team hit the road for a doubleheader at Modern Woodman Park against the Saint Ambrose University Fighting Bees on Tuesday.  The Tigers edged out a 3-1 victory in game one.  The Tigers, then, slugged 18 hits and used big innings to beat the Fighting Bees in game two, 18-4. 

Game One: ONU 3, SAU 1 F/7

Aren Gustafson made the start on the mound for the Tigers in game one.  In the first inning, Gustafson moved into third-place all-time with 225 career strikeouts passing Bob Drake, who played from 1981-84. The Tiger left-hander throw a complete game and only allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight.   

The Tigers jumped on Fighting Bee pitching early in the game.   In the first inning and with one out, Nolan Louis tripled down the right field line and drove in Robert Jackman.  Later in the inning, Tyler Wheeler platted Louis with an RBI single, which moved the score to 2-0.  The Fighting Bees opened their scoring in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout. 

The Tigers added a key insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. CCAC Player of the Week Jacob Bulthuis singled to start the frame and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  With one out, Ortiz drove in the Tiger right fielder with an RBI single.  The Tigers led 3-1. 

Gustafson worked a perfect seventh inning, picking up a pair of strikeouts as the Tigers took game one of the doubleheader, 3-1. 

Game Two: ONU 18, SAU 4 F/7

Coach Jeff Mullikin and the Tigers turned to Matthew Nolin in game two.  The Tiger right-handed pitcher had a solid outing working four innings and allowed one run on two hits and struck out four batters.  Matthew Cousino came in and worked the final three innings of the game, earning the save. 

The Tigers, like game one, did not waste any time to score.  In the first inning, Jackman led off with a single and came around to score on a Wheeler bunt single.  The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead. After a quiet second inning, the Tigers looked to build on that 1-0 lead.  Jackman led off with a triple and then scored on a wild pitch.  Later in the inning, with two outs, Wheeler doubled and later scored on an RBI single by Kai Hudson.  After Bulthuis scorched a single putting a pair of runners on, Gunnar Pullins platted Hudson on an RBI single making the score, 4-0.   

The Tigers broke the game wide open in the fourth inning striking for nine runs.  This inning was highlighted by an RBI double by Louis, a two-run single by Donovan Yelle, and an RBI single by Alex Ortiz.  Both Louis, Jackman, and Rod Lucas also scored on wild pitches.  The Tigers led 13-0 after four innings of play.  The Fighting Bees scored their first run in the bottom of the inning and made the score, 13-1. 

The Tigers kept up their high-powered offensive production in the fifth inning.  After Bulthuis and Pullins scored on passed balls, Jackman laced a two-run double to left field and made the score, 17-1.  Saint Ambrose scored another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to move the score to 17-2. 

The Tigers then added another run in the seventh and Saint Ambrose marked two runs in the bottom of the inning.  ONU used 18 hits to blow past the Fighting Bees, 18-4.  18 runs are the most runs that the Tigers have scored since they scored 19 runs last season against Trinity Christian on April 28th. ONU has won the last seven CCAC games and move to 8-2 in conference play.  

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers open the three-game weekend series with IU-South Bend at Watson Field on Friday, April 1st.  First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu