Tiffin University baseball saw their season come to an end Thursday night at Prasco Park at the G-MAC Tournament. Tiffin finishes the 2025 season 24-29 overall.
The Dragons, facing elimination, defeated Findlay 14-7 to send the Oilers home and then dropped the nightcap to Hillsdale 16-15 in a wild one as TU was unable to overcome six errors in the game.
Trailing Findlay 1-0 through four innings, the Dragons scored 14 runs in the final five innings to get the win. In the fifth, Aidan Grabowski tied it at 1 with an RBI single and Ty Hatfield added an RBI single to give Tiffin the lead for good. Dylan Ruhe also added an RBI single in the inning and Hatfield scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
The Dragons scored four in the fifth, one in the sixth, four more in the seventh, and blew it open with five in the ninth. An error and Hilario DeLaPaz two-run double in the seventh made it 9-1 and Ruhe had a bases clearing triple in the ninth to make it 14-2.
Nick Feasel (W, 3-2) got the win in relief throwing 5.1 innings. He allowed six runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts. DeLaPaz was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and scored three runs. Colin Crisenberry went 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored two runs.
Riding the momentum from the previous game, the Dragons quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Hillsdale. Tiffin scored two in the first and two in the second. DeLaPaz recorded an RBI single in the first and Andrew Fairbrother had an RBI double in the second.
Things turned quickly in Hillsdale's favor in the third inning. The Chargers scored 11 runs on just five hits but took advantage of four TU errors.
The Dragons never panicked and responded with 11 unanswered runs to take the lead back. Tiffin chipped away with two in the fifth and exploded for nine in the seventh to take a 15-11 lead. DeLaPaz recorded a two-run home run in the fifth.
Crisenberry started the sixth-inning rally with a leadoff walk. The Dragons drew six walks in the inning and with the game tied at 11, Crisenberry made it 13-11 with a two-run single. With two outs, Fairbrother brought home two more with a single to make it 15-11.
TU was unable to get a critical shut down inning in the sixth and the Chargers were able to get a little momentum back. After the first two reached to start the inning, Trent Hedges replaced Brett Madison on the mound. Hedges struck out three, but Hillsdale put three on the board via a two-run double and RBI triple to make it a 15-14.
Hillsdale took the lead back in the seventh. The inning began with three bunt singles and a throwing error by Tiffin pitcher Keegan Phillips brought the tying run and go ahead run across the plate.
Tiffin's bats suddenly went quiet, and the Dragons were retired in order 1-2-3 in the final three innings.
Phillips (L, 0-4) took the loss throwing 1.0 innings with one strikeout while allowing two runs on three hits. Zach Johnson was the only TU pitcher in the game to not allow a run.
Scotty Adelman got the start on the mound and he is now the program's all-time leader in career pitching appearances with 61. Adelman tossed 2.1 innings.
DeLaPaz went 3-for-4 while Ruhe, Fairbrother, and Crisenberry had two hits each. Fairbrother had four RBI. Ty Hatfield was 1-for-3 with two walks as his on base streak has now reached 27 straight games.
