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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Olsavsky vs. Cap
Isabella Eke
5
John Carroll JOHNCAR 5-2, 5-2 OAC
12
Winner Capital CAPB 1-6, 1-6 OAC
John Carroll JOHNCAR
5-2, 5-2 OAC
5
Final
12
Capital CAPB
1-6, 1-6 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
John Carroll JOHNCAR 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 12 3
Capital CAPB 2 1 0 1 1 0 5 2 X 12 11 1

W: Dalton Anker (1-0) L: Aukerman, Matthew (1-1) S: Bryant Caporale (1)

12
Winner John Carroll JOHNCAR 6-2, 6-2 OAC
2
Capital CAPB 1-7, 1-7 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JOHNCAR
6-2, 6-2 OAC
12
Final
2
Capital CAPB
1-7, 1-7 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
John Carroll JOHNCAR 3 0 1 3 4 0 0 1 12 13 1
Capital CAPB 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 5 3

W: Merrill, John (2-0) L: Brennon Newell (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Drezdan Dale, Staff Writer

Blue Streaks Earn Split with Capital, Winning 3-of-4 for the Weekend

BEXLEY, Ohio -- After sweeping Capital Saturday, the Blue Streaks and Crusaders split the Sunday doubleheader. John Carroll fell 12-5 in game one before erupting to win 12-2 in eight innings in game two.

John Carroll is now 6-2 (3-1 OAC) after Sunday's games, while Capital falls to 1-7 (1-7 OAC) on the season.

Game 1

The Blue Streaks got off to a quick start in the top of the first. After a rare leadoff strikeout by Sam Heaton, freshman sensation Joe Olsavsky tripled to center. Then, Henry Haracz doubled, bringing home Olsavsky. Justin Hanley walked and Matthew Thiel followed with a single, loading the bases for Michael Anderson and immediately putting Capital starting pitcher Dalton Anker in a rough spot. Anker was able to get Anderson to ground into a double play however, ending the threat only allowing a single run.

In the latter half of the inning, John Carroll starting pitcher Matthew Aukerman struggled to get into a groove. The Crusaders' Cole Callaghan and Garrott Kennedy led off with back to back singles. Aukerman then walked Chase Clouser, loading the bases for Brandon Barnette, who flew out to right field, driving home Callaghan. Aukerman followed with a wild pitch, which allowed Kennedy to score, making the score 2-1 in Capitals favor, before walking Logan White and Connor Feeney, again loading the bases. Aukerman settled down and induced a Ryan Henne ground ball to Heaton, who turned two and got the Streaks out of the inning.

After John Carroll was not able to push anything across in the top of the second, Capital added another run in the bottom of the second, as Clouser hit a one-out bases loaded fielder's choice to second, scoring Joshua Tyler who reached on a walk earlier in the frame.

The Blue Streaks notched a run in the top of the third, as Heaton and Olsavsky led off with singles. Heaton scored on a Capital error on a throw to second base, bringing John Carroll within one.

Capital went three up, three down in the bottom of the third, and John Carroll failed to capitalize on a two out double by Jack Bennet in the top of the fourth. Capital's Brendan Stinson led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, and Tyler laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Stinson to third. Leadoff hitter Callaghan stepped to the plate and delivered a deep flyout to left center, which proved far enough to score Stinson, making the score 4-2 for Capital.

Olsavsky connected on the first pitch of the top of the fifth inning for the Blue Streaks, blasting a home run over the left center field fence. However in the bottom half of the inning, Clouser led off with a single and stole second before advancing to third on a dropped strikeout throwdown to first. Then with one out, White grounded out to Heaton at short, bringing in Clouser, making the score 5-3 in Capital's favor. Blue Streak manager Bobby Bell pulled Aukerman, inserting Erich Payne, who walked Stinson before retiring Tyler via groundout.

John Carroll would again answer, with Christian Cassarro drawing a lead off walk and Collin Kennedy singling, advancing Cassarro to third. Bennet then flew out to left field, allowing Cassaro to score. This prompted Capital to make the switch to relief pitcher Bryant Caporale, who escaped the inning without giving up any further damage.

Both relief pitchers kept the offense's bats quiet until the Crusaders' half of the seventh inning. To start the inning, Jack Lubor came in to pitch for Payne. After walking two batters and striking out another, Bell made the change to reliever John Gavric. Gavric gave up a ground ball hit, but the Blue Streaks registered a throwing error, allowing Capital to score a run. Callaghan then blasted a double, driving in another, before Clouser reached base on catcher's interference. Gavric then walked Barnette, bringing in another run, and Logan White followed with a two-RBI single, making the score 10-4 for Capital. Duncan Cappar came on in relief for Gavric and got the final out of the inning. In total, the Crusaders scored five runs in the frame.

In the top of the eighth, Victor Glaser led off with a single, but the Blue Streaks were not able to manufacture any more offense in the inning. Capital struck for two more runs in the bottom of the frame, putting them ahead 12-5 and seemingly deflating any chance of a Blue Streak comeback. The deficit proved too large, as John Carroll was only able to manage a single in the top of the ninth before Caporale was able to register three consecutive outs.

Aukerman, who allowed a total of five runs in 4.2 innings while striking out two, ended up being charged with the loss, moving to 1-1 on the season for the Blue Streaks.

Game 2

After their disappointing performance in game one, the Blue Streaks looked to get back to their winning ways in game two. 

Starting on the mound for the Crusaders was Brennon Newell. John Carroll roughed up Newell from the start, with Heaton drawing a leadoff walk to begin the game, followed by an Erik Daugenti single to right. Newell was able to get Olsavsky to ground into a fielder's choice, which scored Heaton. However, that was the only out Newell would register on the day, as he hit Hanley before walking Haracz and Thiel consecutively, bringing in a run. Logan LaMere was then hit with a pitch, scoring another. Connor McCloy came in to relieve Newell, and was able to strike out Matthew Springer and retire Brady Fields via groundout to end the inning.

On the mound for the Blue Streaks was John Merrill, who retired the side in short order to begin his afternoon. Neither team were able to get anything going in the second inning. Heading into the third up 3-0, the Blue Streaks tacked on another run as Springer and Fields both singled with one out. Daugenti drove in Springer on a single of his own, making the score 4-0 for the Streaks. Merrill allowed his first base runner of the day in the third, hitting Henne with a pitch, before striking out Callaghan to end the frame.

To start the fourth, Spencer Knight came in to pitch for Capital's McCloy. After retiring Hanley on a flyout, Haracz singled and Thiel reached on an error. LaMere delivered an RBI single, scoring Haracz, and Springer followed with a 2-RBI double, scoring Thiel and LaMere. McCloy settled in and retired the next two batters, but the damage was already done as the score was 7-0 for the Streaks. In the bottom of the inning, the Crusaders went three up, three down, with Merrill striking out two. 

John Carroll struck for four more runs in the 5th, with Haracz delivering a one-out, RBI single. After a Thiel walk, LaMere reached on a fielding error, which scored two more for the Blue Streaks, and Haracz came in on a balk. After the fifth, the Blue Streaks were up 11-0.

White led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, the only blemish on Merrill's day. Neither team were able to do much of anything in the sixth. In the seventh, the Blue Streaks did not score, but Capital was able to push across a run on relief pitcher Riley Pavlik. 

In the top of the eighth, Anthony Bonavita blasted a pinch hit RBI single, stretching the Blue Streak lead to 10 runs as they lead 12-2. Pavlik was able to limit the Crusaders and did not allow a run in the bottom half of the inning. Due to a new OAC rule in effect because of COVID, if a team leads by 10 or more runs after 7 innings or more of play, the game ends. This was the second time in the four games against Capital this weekend that John Carroll was able to make the most of this rule.

Merrill ended up registering the win, improving to 2-0 on this young season. In total, Pavlik struck out eight batters across six innings of work, only allowing five base runners and one run.

Up next for John Carroll is Ohio Northern, with the Blue Streaks kicking off a doubleheader Saturday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. from Schweickert Field in University Heights, Ohio.
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