ADA, Ohio - Ohio Northern University defeated the Wilmington College baseball team 13-2 and 8-4 in an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) twinbill on Tuesday.

In game one, the Quakers got runners into scoring position in each of the first two innings, but failed to score. Tyler Shaneyfelt got to third base with one out in the first thanks to a double and a steal, but a groundout to the pitcher and a strikeout ended the frame. One inning later, WC had runners at first and third with just one out, but Evan Kelsey was caught stealing second, and another strikeout stranded J.C. Calhoun at third base. The Polar Bears took control in the bottom of the second by loading the bases with no outs. Wilmington starter Kaleb Stines nearly got out of it as a pop out and foul out followed, but Robbie Reed drove in two runs with a single left field. Another scored on an error, and the Quakers trailed 3-0 after two complete.

ONU added another run on a solo home run in the fifth, and WC left the bases loaded in the sixth after Owen Baumann and Jesse Reliford singled and Caleb Scott was hit by a pitch. Two more Polar Bear runs crossed the plate in the bottom half of the inning, and although the Quakers scored an unearned run on an RBI-double from Evan Eilerman in the top of the seventh, the hosts secured a victory with a six-hit, seven-run bottom of the seventh.

Noah Truax picked up a quality start victory, scattering seven hits with five strikeouts in six innings. The Polar Bear bullpen of Kaidan Domer, Austin Mathews and Brady Corbitt pitched the final three innings. Stines dipped to 3-1 for Wilmington by allowing five earned runs in nine hits in six innings. Dawson Blunt relieved Mac Davis in the seventh and allowed just one hit in 1.1 innings pitched.

Ohio Northern doubled up Wilmington in hits 16-8 and were led by Jacob Wenning's 3-for-4 performance with three runs scored. Logan Stevens had two hits, both of them home runs, and three RBIs. Eilerman was responsible for both Quaker runs as the freshman went 2-for-4 with a double. 

In the nightcap, WC took advantage of an ONU error to score an unearned run in the first, but it was answered with a solo home run off the bat of Corey McMann in the bottom half of the inning. After a double play stopped the Quakers in the top of the second, the Polar Bears plated three runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning.

Zach Shepherd relieved Shaneyfelt to begin the third and didn't allow an earned run in six innings, but his defense didn't help as WC committed five errors over the those six innings resulting in four unearned runs to score. Though the visitors plated runs in half of the innings they batted, the hosts were able to minimize the damage to just a single run in the first, fifth, sixth and ninth innings.

Shaneyfelt fell to 0-1 on the season, allowing four earned runs with three walks in two innings pitched. Shepherd scattered eight hits over six innings in relief. For ONU, Blake Altaffer improved to 4-0 by allowing three runs (one earned) in 5.2 innings. Blake Peterson recorded the final 10 outs for his first save of the 2023 campaign.

Offensively, Scott finished 3-for-4 with an RBI while Baumann and Reliford also notched multi-hit contests. Chase Armstrong and Hunter Kauser both went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for ONU.

Wilmington (10-16, 1-7 OAC) host Indiana University Purdue University Columbus tomorrow (Wednesday) at 4 p.m.