The Tiffin University baseball team dropped three of the four games in their weekend series against the Lake Erie Storm.
The Dragons and Storm had to finish their suspended contest from the day before. After 10 innings, darkness ended the day, and the game resumed today in the 11th tied at 9-9. The Dragons pushed two across to take an 11-9 advantage, but the Storm were not to be outdone. Lake Erie plated three runs in their half of the inning to win in walk-off fashion.
In game three, it was a tight affair that featured more pitching than hitting. The Dragons sent Brady Ward to the helm to navigate through the Storm lineup. Brady lasted 3 1/3 innings, and the only blemish on his line was the one that cost him the game. A double and a walk followed by another double made it 2-0 in favor of Lake Erie.
That score held up as Tiffin could only manage three hits at the plate. Isaac Perry, Garrett Vernau, and Nick Hueneburg were the only three Dragons to collect a hit, and all were of the one base variety. But credit has to be given where credit is due, as Lake Erie pitching didn't walk a single batter and punched out five.
In game four, it was Tyler Nichols on the mound in search of the split, but the Storm put that in jeopardy from the start. Lake Erie scored four runs in the 1st inning on three hits and two Tiffin errors. All of the runs that scored were unearned and came with two outs.
Tiffin countered in the 2nd with a pair of runs. Cody Spires walked to lead off the inning. Alex Hartley then reached on an error, and Spires scurried to third. A Garrett Vernau RBI ground out to shortstop put the first Dragon run on the board. Isaac Perry then reached on a fielding error, and Hartley scored on the play. Tiffin came close to pushing another run home, but Jack Dennis was cut down at the plate to end the inning.
Tiffin added another run in the 3rd inning. Nick Hueneburg's big fly over the left field fence pulled the Dragons within a run at 4-3.
Lake Erie then thundered home four runs in the 5th on the strength of back to back home runs, one being a three run bomb, and the other being of the solo variety. The Storm were back at it again the next inning, pushing two more runs to the plate on three hits and a Tiffin error.
The Dragons added another run to their total in the top of the 7th. Back to back singles by Alec McCurry and Nick Hueneburg gave Trent Stamm an opportunity. The pitch hitting Stamm lifted a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to score Kyle Durham making it 10-4, and ultimately the final tally.
Tyler Nichols takes the loss on the mound, throwing 5 innings, giving up 8 hits, 8 runs, 4 earned, 1 walk, and fanned 7. Of the eight Tiffin hits, Nick Hueneburg had three. Hueneburg was 3 for 4 with the solo home run to left field.
The three losses drops TU to 18-28 overall and 11-17 in the GLIAC. Tiffin will round out the regular season with a four game set against the Northwood Timberwolves next weekend at home.
