CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Notre Dame College (0-7) concluded their seven-game road trip to open the 2022 campaign, with a doubleheader on Sunday against Ohio Dominican (5-2). The Panthers won on both occasions, 8-3 and 6-5, with game two featuring extra innings. Redshirt sophomore
Aaron Miller highlighted the Falcons offensively with a team-high four hits, four RBIs and a home run.
Notre Dame featured their ace in
Austin Mora for game one. The redshirt senior dueled ODU's Lane Marshall for the first three innings, however the Panthers snagged an unearned run via a wild pitch (third inning) to break the stalemate, 1-0.
In the top of the fourth inning ODU added to their lead with four hits during the inning to tally five more runs and a 6-0 lead.
NDC scored their first run after redshirt sophomore
Alec Mendoza's RBI double to left center plating fellow redshirt sophomore,
Ben Ross.
After a pair of Panther runs in the top half of the seventh, the Falcons went out swinging during the home half. A. Miller put a jolt into a ball to right center field for a solo home run, and Mendoza plated Ross once more on an RBI double down the left field line, but ODU would prevail 8-3.
In game two, the Falcons dealt junior
Calvin Andringa who tossed six strong innings, allowing two earned on eight hits to go along with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 2-0 lead during the very first inning after A. Miller's hot bat poked a two-run double to left center field.
Ohio Dominican would respond in the top of the third with three runs on three hits to grab a 3-2 advantage.
However, in the home half of the third the Falcons reversed the score with three runs of their own. Ross led off the inning with a solo home run to knot the contest at 3-3. Later in the inning, A. Miller would plate his fourth RBI of the day on a single up the middle.
Parker Hray tallied another RBI single through the left side to push NDC ahead 5-3.
Ohio Dominican would cut the lead in half during the fifth inning after an RBI groundout.
In the seventh inning, the Panthers would tie the contest at 5-5 after a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly. The late rally forced the contest into extra innings, where ODU ultimately won the game on a sacrifice bunt during the top of the eighth inning.
Down to the final out of the game, Notre Dame began a rally and threatened with the bases loaded, but Ohio Dominican would escape, 6-5.
Aaron Miller's impressive day led Notre Dame's offense with four hits, four RBIs and his first home run of the season.
Ben Ross generated three hits, one RBI and his team-leading third home run of the season.
Alec Mendoza aided the NDC offense with two runs driven in on two hits this afternoon.
As a team, NDC went 16-61 (.262) from the dish with four doubles, two home runs and eight runs scored.
Notre Dame College will return to Northeast Ohio for their home opening series against Lake Erie College, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday Mar. 4 at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday will feature a traditional nine inning contest against the Storm with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m.
