The Tiffin University baseball team fell 13-12 to Upper Iowa Wednesday afternoon in a wild contest that saw both teams combine for 25 runs, 37 hits, 12 walks, and 27 runners left stranded on base.
The Dragons jumped on Upper Iowa in the very 1st inning. The leadoff batter, Nick Raifsnider, singled, then Nick Hueneberg reached on an error, advancing Raifsnider to third base. Cody Spires then brought home the game's first run with a sac fly.
The Dragons tacked on three more runs in the 2nd inning. It all started when Jack Dennis belted a solo home run to right field to make it 2-0. Kyle Durham then singled, that was followed with Devin Ambrose reaching on an error by the shortstop. With runners on first and second, Alec McCurry walked to load the bases. Nick Hueneberg laced a single up the middle plating a pair. After two innings, the Dragons led 4-0.
The Peacocks got on the board in the top of the 3rd with a Dragon error, two hits, a walk, and sac fly. This combination put 3 runs on the board to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
The Dragons responded in the bottom of the inning, with back to back singles by Tyler Craigo and Jack Dennis, followed by a free pass, issued to Kyle Durham. With the bases loaded and two out, Tiffin looked to Nick Raifsnider, Nick drew a walk to push a run home, then Alec McCurry laced a double down the left field line to plate two more runs. Tiffin regained their four run lead, 7-3.
Each team scored a run in the 4th, but that would be the last run the Dragons would score until the 8th inning. Meanwhile, the Peacocks began chipping away at the Dragon lead, scoring two runs in the 5th, and a run in the 7th. This put the score at 8-7 with Tiffin clinging to a one run lead.
Upper Iowa stepped to the plate in the top of the 8th needing a run to tie the ballgame. Instead they scored four runs, taking a 11-8 advantage to the bottom of the 8th.
Tiffin started the rally process in the 8th, scoring a run on an Elijah Sanabria single to left field to put the score at 11-9. With the Dragon offense starting to come back to life they needed the pitching staff to do their job, but Upper Iowa made sure that didn't happen, adding two runs on 3 hits, a walk, and hit batsmen. Upper Iowa went to the bottom of the 9th with a 13-9 advantage.
The Dragons could have packed it in and thought about tomorrow, but they dug in and mounted their comeback. Nick Calandra singled to left, then Nick Raifsnider drew a walk to put two on with one out. An infield single by Alec McCurry loaded the bases for Nick Hueneberg. Nick grounded into a fielder's choice, but a run did score making it 13-10.
With two outs and runners at second and third, Cole McCurry ripped a ball into left field to score Nick Raifsnider, and his brother, Alec McCurry. McCurry, at first base, was the tying run with Garret Vernau at bat. Vernau, with two home runs on the season, was the winning run, but it was not to be. Garrett flew out to right field to end the game with Upper Iowa getting a come from behind win, 13-12.
The Dragons used six different pitchers on the afternoon. Brady Ward started the game, going 3 innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned. The bullpen is where the breakdown occurred, as the Dragon pen gave up 10 runs, 9 earned, 17 hits, and walked 6.
Offensively, the Dragons bashed 15 hits, led by Alec McCurry and Jack Dennis with 3 hits each. McCurry was a home run away from the cycle, and knocked in 2 runs. Dennis provided the pop, hitting his first collegiate homer, and collected 2 RBIs. Nick Hueneberg only had one hit, but knocked in 3 runs.
The Dragons fall to 4-6 overall, and will be back in action tomorrow with a double header against Kentucky Wesleyan starting at 10 am.
