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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Haracz
Austin Vest
7
Winner John Carroll JCU 9-7, 6-6 OAC
4
Baldwin Wallace BW 11-6, 10-3 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
9-7, 6-6 OAC
7
Final
4
Baldwin Wallace BW
11-6, 10-3 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
John Carroll JCU 0 2 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 7 6 2
Baldwin Wallace BW 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 0

W: Midea, Mitchell (2-2) L: G. McLeod (1-1) S: Bennett, Jack (2)

11
John Carroll JCU 9-7, 6-6 OAC
11
Baldwin Wallace BW 11-6, 10-3 OAC
John Carroll JCU
9-7, 6-6 OAC
11
Final
11
Baldwin Wallace BW
11-6, 10-3 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
John Carroll JCU 2 2 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 11 17 0
Baldwin Wallace BW 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 5 1 0 0 11 18 2

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Baseball Wins, Ties Baldwin Wallace in a Bonkers Day in Berea

BEREA, Ohio -- Only in 2021.

At the end of an 8-hour marathon day, John Carroll University Baseball looked to be on the verge a sweep. Having snatched a 7-4 win in Game 1, the Blue Streaks possessed a 15-11 lead in the bottom of the 11th inning against Baldwin Wallace.

But then darkness crept in, despite the teams pushing up the start time of the twinbill to avoid what looked like a storm front moving in later in the afternoon. 

The rain didn't arrive until the evening, but what did materialize was a wacky ending to a wild game that featured a combined 22 runs, 35 hits, 5 lead changes, 12 pitchers, and 316 pitches. 

In the end, JCU had to accept an 11-11 tie due to NCAA rules, making them 9-7-1 on the year. 

Game 1

The Blue Streaks fired ahead for an early lead on Saturday afternoon in the opener. In the top of the second, the Blue Streaks scratched a pair of runs across the plate. Justin Hanley started things off with a single to left field. Tyler Cyrus walked, and then Cyrus and Hanley advanced on a passed ball. A wild pitch brought Hanley home for the first run of the ballgame. After a JCU strikeout, Cyrus also crossed home on a wild pitch.

Baldwin Wallace got a run back in the bottom of the third, as a sacrifice fly halved JCU's lead to 2-1. But John Carroll responded quickly in the top of the fourth. Joe Olsavsky served as the catalyst at the start of the frame, doubling down the left field line and then advancing to third on a wild pitch. Hanley walked to set runners at the corners. Cyrus grounded out to third, but plated Olsavsky for an RBI. Bennett Cavaretta doubled to left center to score Hanley, setting the score at 4-1.

A pair of hit by pitches, an error, and a single by Baldwin Wallace knotted the contest at four in the bottom of the fourth. But of course, the JCU offense was ready with a reply. 

In the next half-inning, Michael Anderson singled to the left side to get things started. Henry Haracz walked, and then a Sam Heaton sacrifice grounder set two runners in scoring position. Olsavsky loaded the bases with a hit by pitch. Hanley hit a sac fly to center, scoring Anderson. The Yellow Jackets escaped without further damage, but 5 runs would be enough.

John Merrill entered in the sixth in relief of Mitch Midea, who provided five solid innings for the Blue Streaks. Merrill contributed scoreless 1.2 innings and Joseph Smith notched 1.1 innings of nearly flawless work, allowing the JCU hitters to get more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. 

Haracz walked to open the frame, and quickly stole second. Heaton sent Haracz to third with a flyout to center, and Olsavsky brought him home with a nice single to right center. Hanley produced another run with a double down the left field line, plating Olsavsky. 

The 7-4 lead was plenty for the JCU bullpen, as Jack Bennett picked up the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. 

Olsavsky (2-for-3) and Hanley (2-for-2) each enjoyed great days in the middle of the order, combining for 3 RBI. 

Game 2

From the very start of Saturday's second affair between BW and JCU, you knew it would be a game won by the bats. 

John Carroll hopped to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Henry Haracz was hit by a pitch to open up the game, and Sam Heaton singled through the right side. Heaton then stole second, setting up Joe Olsavsky. The freshman continued his outstanding 2021 campaign, doubling down the line in right to score Heaton and Haracz. 

Baldwin Wallace got a run back in the bottom of the frame. A walk and back-to-back singles slimmed the score to 2-1. 

Two more runs came across in the second for JCU. Logan LaMere walked to open things up, and Bennett Cavaretta reached on a fielder's choice, advancing to second on an error. Erik Daugenti then doubled to left, scoring Cavaretta. Following a popup, Haracz clipped a double down the left field line, allowing Daugenti to cross home. 

JCU's 4-1 lead held until the bottom of the third. BW started the inning with a single, and then a 2-run homer narrowed the deficit to one. A walk hurt JCU, as after a groundout, the Yellow Jackets tapped a single to right center to knot the score at 4 and knock Andrew Steele out of the game. 

In the bottom of the fourth, the hosts took the lead. A ground rule double and a single gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-4 advantage, which didn't last long. Heaton walked and later scored on a  2-out LaMere single up the middle. The score remained 5-5 until the top of the sixth. 

Michael Anderson started the show with a double to right center. Haracz walked and Heaton singled to juice the bases. Olsavsky drew a big walk to give the lead to JCU. Cassaro knocked a sacrifice fly to left, plating Haracz for an insurance run. 

The Blue Streaks added another insurance run in the seventh, and another in the eighth. Haracz did the trick with an RBI single in the seventh and Hanley did the job in the eighth with an RBI single. 

Unperturbed, Baldwin Wallace crossed 5 runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead. A pair of walks and a single set the stage for a bases-clearing triple for the Yellow Jackets. After a pitching change, BW knocked two RBI singles to set the score at 10-9. Jack Bennett entered the game and stopped the bleeding, ending the inning. 

Needing a rally, the John Carroll bats were up for the challenge in the top of the ninth. Daugenti led things off with a single to center, advancing to second on an error. Anderson drew a walk, leading to a pitching change. Haracz advanced Anderson and Daugenti on a sacrifice. A strikeout got the second out, and BW intentionally walked Olsavsky. Brady Fields took that personally, clubbing a 2-run single up the middle. Anderson and Daugenti scored, making it 11-10 JCU. A popup ended the inning. 

The Yellow Jackets evened things up with back-to-back doubles to open the ninth. But Bennett bore down and drew three straight grounders to force extras.  

Jacob Connery singled up the middle to start the 10th, and Anderson was hit by a pitch, but the Yellow Jackets got out of it with no damage. They would not be so lucky in the 11th. 

The Blue Streaks got runners on first and second to start the top of the frame, and boy, did Daugenti deliver. The freshman phenom came through with an RBI single to break the tie, scoring Springer. A passed ball then allowed Connery to cross. Haracz finished off the jaunt with a baseknock. JCU added another run for good measure. 

Leading 14-11, the Blue Streaks looked to close out the wacky game. But in an ending fitting of 2021, the umpires called the game on account of darkness, wiping out JCU's 4-run 11th inning. 

By NCAA rules, the game is officially an 11-11 tie, despite an impressive 4-run rally in the 11th by the Blue Streaks.

The men of Bobby Bell will have a chance at revenge on Sunday, hosting Baldwin Wallace for a 1 and 4 p.m. doubleheader.   
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