TIFFIN, Ohio - The Dragons got themselves right back in the hunt for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament berth with a key sweep over the rival Oilers. Tiffin (8-17, 5-6) outlasted Findlay (4-17-1, 2-8) 7-4 in game one before Pistorio's pitching and a key defensive play helped TU drop UF 2-1 in game two.
Donnie Smith (3-3) recorded the win in game one for the Dragons, giving up nine hits and four runs (three earned), recording seven strikeouts in seven innings of work. Chris Pistorio took the bump in game two, allowing one run on seven hits, firing 55 strikes in only 85 pitches to improve to 2-1.
From the plate, Colin Lowe had three hits, including a double and three RBI's in five at-bats. Jordan Chiero had two singles in five at-bats, scoring three runs and driving in a pair of TU runners.
Findlay had its opportunities as they outhit Tiffin on the day 16-15, but the Tiffin defense held. Dylan Cintula led the Oilers with two singles in six at-bats with two RBI's while Jason Reitenbach scored a pair of runs.
Matt Weber took the tough-luck loss in game two for UF, falling to 0-2 after surrendering two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out five. Ethan James (1-3) allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with a pair of walks in game one.
Tiffin quickly loaded the bases during the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of singles and a walk. Cory Osborne drove in the first run with a walk before a Chiero single advanced everyone one base to make it 2-0 Tiffin. Findlay's James got two flyouts with the base loaded, but the second by Cory Hornyak drove in the third TU run as the Dragons led 3-0 after one.
Findlay answered in the top of the third to cut it to one. With two outs and a runner at second, Reid Rothenbuhler singled to put men on the corners before Cintula followed with an RBI double. A fielding error by the TU shortstop scored another run, but Smith recorded the strikeout to keep the TU advantage. A sacrifice fly by Lowe in the bottom of the inning pushed the lead back to two for TU.
In the bottom of the fourth, Tiffin roughed up James for three more to push the lead to five. With one out, singles by Zach McCutcheon and Pat Curtin was preceded by a bunt single by Michael Dushane to load the bases. Chiero drove in a run with a grounder to third, but the relay throw from the second baseman in a double play attempt sailed in the dugout to allow Curtin to score and moved Chiero into scoring position. Lowe added an RBI single to give TU the 7-2 lead after four.
Findlay drove in a pair of runs in the top of the sixth with an RBI double by Robert Marsh and an RBI groundout, but Smith got out of that jam and allowed only an infield single in the seventh to complete his second-straight complete game win.
In game two, Pistorio and Weber went toe-to-toe with Pistorio coming out on top thanks to Tiffin's two manufactured runs. In the bottom of the first, Dushane doubled to lead off and was sacrificed to second. Chiero followed with a sacrifice fly to put TU up 1-0. Tiffin pushed the advantage to two in the second when Val Helldobler reached on an error, stole second and scored on a Ryan Williams seeing-eye single up the middle. Helldobler just beat the tag to score the second run of the game.
Pistorio faced runners at the corners and no outs after two leadoff singles by Findlay in the third, but a pair of fly outs that scored a run and a strikeout preserved the one-run advantage for Tiffin.
Findlay threatened in the top of the seventh when an error and a single put men at first and second with no outs. However a diving catch and throw to second by Chiero on a bunt attempt by UF's leadoff hitter gave Pistorio a quick pair of outs. A grounder to short ended the ballgame and completed the doubleheader sweep.
Tiffin returns to action Saturday (April 9) when it travels to Painesville, Ohio to take on Lake Erie. First pitch of the doubleheader is 1 p.m.
