POGIOLI, YELLE, AND YOON HIT HOME RUNS AS THE TIGERS SPLIT THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
|
Oklahoma Wesleyan | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | X | 15 | 17 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hannibal-LaGrange | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
Olivet Nazarene | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. – The Olivet Nazarene University men's baseball program began their 2023 season in style defeating Hannibal-LaGrange 6-4 with a walk-off grand slam courtesy of Evan Pogioli. ONU dropped their second game of the doubleheader to Oklahoma Wesleyan 15-3 with Donovan Yelle recording all three RBIs off a three-run home run.
First Game: Olivet Nazarene 6, Hannibal-LaGrange 4
The Tigers found late heroics from Pogioli in the bottom of the 7th inning to win their season opener. Trailing 4-2 with just a single out left in the ballgame, The junior first baseman stepped to the plate with Ryan Russman, Taylor Steig, and Donovan Yelle loaded the bases. Pogioli took a pitch to right-center field and cleared the wall to win in walk-off fashion.
Geon Yoon put the Tigers on the board for the first time this season with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Yoon's long ball brought Nolan Louis and Robert Jackman home. The Trojans were first to put runs on the scoreboard benefiting from a three-run home run in the top of the third inning and then scored a fourth run in the fifth inning.
Nolan Belschner, Thomas Burns, and Kainoa Mane combined for seven strikeouts and only allowed one earned run in the game.
Second Game: Oklahoma Wesleyan 15, Olivet Nazarene 3
The Tigers dropped their second game of the afternoon to Oklahoma Wesleyan. ONU scored all three of their runs in the top of the first inning. Donovan Yelle's three-run homerun gave the visitors an early lead. The Eagles scored all 15 of their runs unanswered responding with seven runs in the bottom half of the first inning followed by eight combined in the fourth, fifth, and sixth.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Tigers will return to action next weekend for a four-game series with Lindsey Wilson. They are slated for a doubleheader next Friday, Feb. 10 followed by another doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 11. Please visit ONUTigers.com for all the updated links to follow the action.
--ONU—
*Contact Patrick Kaindl; Sports Information Graduate Assistant, email pkaindl@olivet.edu