WOOD COUNTY, Ohio – The Adrian College NCBA D1 baseball team opened up its season with a doubleheader against Owens Community College. The Bulldogs dropped game one 5-2 and lost in heartbreaking fashion 8-7 in game two.
Game 1
The pitching was the story for both teams early on in the game. Cameron Wakefield started on the bump for Adrian, going two innings allowing only one hit. The Express started Grady Mason on the mound as he went two innings, giving up one hit.
Ryan Kempter entered in relief, limiting Owens CC to zero runs on one hit. In the fifth inning, the Express broke the scoreless tie on a two-run RBI triple. Owens Community College added one more run in the fifth inning, before tacking on two insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth.
Adrian fought in the seventh, bringing across two runs to make it a three-run game. The Express ended the late rally, holding on to win 5-2.
Game 2
Owens Community College jumped on the board in the second, but Adrian answered right back in the third with an RBI by Cody Priest. In the bottom of the third, the Express regained the lead on an RBI single. However, the Bulldogs rallied in the top of the fourth. A couple of errors and a walk allowed the Adrian offense to load the bases with one out. Kainen Smith tied the game up on a single up the middle, and Johnnie Salazar was hit by a pitch to bring home the go-ahead run.
After adding a run to their lead in the fifth, Adrian surrendered three runs to give Owens Community College a 6-4 lead. Down to their last chance in the seventh, the Bulldogs responded with three runs of their own to take a one-run lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Express answered once again. An error and a couple of walks put the tying run in scoring position for Cal Bickel, who drilled a double into left field to secure an 8-7 win in walk-off fashion for the Express.
Up Next
Adrian is back in action next Saturday when they take on Hillsdale College in a doubleheader at home. Game one will start at 3:30, with game two starting at 5:30.
