TIGERS STAVE OFF SWEEP WITH 4-3 WIN IN SERIES FINALE AGAINST CUAA

MARION, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team picked up a 4-3 win in the series finale to stave off a four-game sweep against Concordia (Mich.) this weekend at Mtn Dew Park.

The win came after 23-7 and 14-8 losses in the series-opening doubleheader on Friday. The Tigers dropped Saturday's opener 14-1 before locking down the Cardinal bats for the 4-3 win in the finale.

The ONU pitching limited the Cardinals to just three runs on three hits in Saturday's win, while the Tiger offense racked up 10 hits to get the four runs needed to tack down the win.

In the bottom of the third, Takumi Kimoto opened the frame with a leadoff triple. Jack Dupuis promptly tied the game at 1-1 after roping an RBI double to right field.

A run in the following inning put Concordia back in front, but a three-spot in the Tigers' half of the frame gave ONU all the runs they would need. Sam Reczek dropped a sacrifice bunt to bring home the pinch-running Taylor Bledsoe and retie the score but reached base thanks to an error.

Reczek and Vince Martinez pulled off a double steal to claim the lead. Kimoto tacked on an insurance run in the next at-bat with an RBI single to make it 4-2 Tigers.

Concordia (6-2) shortened the gap to one run in the fifth, but that would be the last run they would scratch across as Jacob Aseltine would strike out five of the last six batters he would face to lock down the win.

Aseltine was credited with the win in relief, allowing just one run on one hit and striking out seven in four innings pitched. Nicholas Gniedziejko struck out three Cardinals in three innings as the starter.

The Tigers will open conference play when they host Indiana South Bend this weekend.

--ONU—

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