Jayden Leach's walk-off grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in game two led the Dragons (12-20, 7-9 G-MAC) to a doubleheader split and series split with Findlay on Monday afternoon at the Paradiso Athletic Complex.
Game 1 (L, 4-3):
Defensive errors cost the Dragons in this one as two of Findlay's four runs in the game were unearned. A dropped fly ball from Cameron Jantz gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
The score remained 1-0 through 5.2 innings. With two outs in the sixth, the Dragons forced Findlay's starter out of the game, who had only given up three hits. The first pitch thrown by reliever Colin Becker was hit off the wall by Jovanny Skrelja to tie the game at one. The next pitch thrown was crushed for a two-run home run to right center field by Jantz, making up for the earlier error, to put TU up 3-1 going into the seventh.
The seventh started positive as Brock Polilli struck out the leadoff man, but a one-out error by Leach led to an Oilers' rally. Findlay then took the lead on back-to-back pitches. The first was a double, and the second resulted in a two-run home run over the right field wall which looked to be a lazy pop up, but the wind carried it out of the ballpark.
With two outs and a runner on third, Michael Patellis struck out to end the game.
Trent Hedges started and threw 5.0 innings. Hedges struck out nine and allowed just two hits and one unearned run but also walked six. Luke Mager and Brett Madison each recorded 0.2 scoreless innings. Polilli (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in 0.2 innings of work.
Skrelja went 2 for 3 at the plate.
Game 2 (W, 8-4):
Griff Cady led off the game with a home run, and the Dragons managed two other hits in the opening inning but only got the one. The only TU error of the game came in the second inning by Luke Westerman, and it resulted in an unearned run to tie the game. Findlay took a 3-1 lead in the third on a two-run home run.
In the fifth, Cady crushed a three-run homer over the left center field wall to put TU back on top 4-3 and with two outs in the sixth, a solo shot by the Oilers tied it up at four.
The Dragons had a chance to take the lead in the seventh as Brody Puchmajer and Luke Westerman reached to start the inning, but the Oilers turned a big double play off the bat of Cady. With the bases loaded and two outs, Leach struck out looking which kept the game at four apiece.
In the ninth, TU pitcher Dominic Elia worked around a one-out single and put up a zero on the board. The Dragons' rally in the ninth started when Westerman was hit by a pitch with one out. After that, Cady and Dylan Ruhe followed with singles to load the bases. Brayden Clark struck out which brought Leach to the plate and in a 1-0 count, Leach drilled a line drive grand slam over the right field wall to send the Dragons' faithful home happy and helped TU secure a massive split to open North Division play.
Mason Brunecz started and went 3.0 innings. Brunecz struck out two and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and walked two. Elia got the win improving to 3-2 on the year. Elia struck out seven and allowed one run on three hits and walked one in 6.0 innings of work.
Cady went 3 for 5 with four RBI and scored three runs. Leach went 2 for 5 with four RBI.
