COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT IN HOME OPENER AGAINST IWU

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Playing at Watson Field for the first time this season, the Olivet Nazarene University baseball team battled back from an early eight-run deficit but ultimately fell short in an 15-11 shootout to Indiana Wesleyan in their home opener Tuesday afternoon.

Indiana Wesleyan (8-5) came out firing, capitalizing on five hits and a pair of Tiger errors to put up seven runs in the opening frame. The Wildcats tacked on another run in the top of the second, and before they knew it, the Tigers were in an early 8-0 hole.

But the Purple & Yellow Gold responded with a two-out rally in their half of the second. Andy Onnen got the Tigers on the board with an RBI single that plated Joseph Jimenez before Taylor Bledsoe, Kai Hudson, and Jack Dupuis roped out three consecutive RBI singles to cut the deficit in half to 8-4.

Three IWU runs and three scoreless ONU innings put the Tigers at an 11-4 disadvantage in the sixth inning. But the Tigers utilized plate discipline and situational baserunning to put up a seven-spot of their own in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 11-11. However, the Wildcats jumped on ONU for four runs in the eighth inning and the Tigers couldn't find a response, falling 15-11.

The Tigers matched IWU with 14 hits. Bledsoe led the offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk, three RBIs, and scoring a pair of runs himself. Dupuis was the other Tiger with a multi-RBI game, finishing with two. Hudson, Jimenez, Onnen, and Geon Yoon all had multiple hits in the home opener, as well.

Seven Tigers found action on the mound. Erick Cerezo and Matthew Derkacy handled the first inning. Jordan Rhoden went the furthest, pitching three innings in relief with only one earned run on two hits. He also struck out three. Joey Boland pitched a pair of innings. Eli Laurent, Noah Bradshaw, and Jeffrey Vest pitched one inning each to close out the game. Laurent was tagged with the loss.

ONU will stay in Bourbonnais to open the conference slate with a home doubleheader against St. Ambrose at Watson Field next Tuesday, Mar. 12. The first game is slated for 1 p.m. CST.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu