MARIETTA, Ohio - The game had all the makings of a classic pitcher's duel. For six innings that is exactly what John Carroll's Patrick O'Brien and Mount Union's Zach Carlino gave the fans at Don Schaly Stadium to watch Thursday evening. In the eighth inning the Purple Raiders pushed six runs across the plate en route to a 7-3 win.
The win takes Mount Union to 21-16 on the season and earns it a slot in the winners' bracket against Otterbein University Friday at 11:00 a.m. The loss drops John Carroll to 25-15 and into the loser's bracket to face off with Marietta College in a game that will start at approximately 2:00 p.m. Friday.
On the hill, Gino Ceriani (4-0) picked up the win for Mount Union. Ceriani, came on to relieve Carlino, and pitched three innings of no-hit baseball. Kevin Rosinski (2-2) was tagged with the loss for the Blue Streaks. Rosinski went 1.1 innings allowing four runs on three hits and giving up two free passes.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the eighth inning, Mount Union needed to do something that it hadn't been able to through the first seven and that was rally against the JCU pitching staff. Connor Mathis started off the inning by drawing walk. Anthony Morino doubled and Evan Knott singled driving in Mathis.
The next batter, Justin Jakubik, executed a safety squeeze and plated Morino tying the contest at three runs apiece. Then two more Purple Raider hits and a walk set the stage for Ricky Olasz to double down the left field line scoring two more runs.
The Purple Raiders weren't down scoring. Steve Mitch who had drawn a walk scored before the inning was over and when the dust had settled the two run deficit was now a four run lead.
“That inning we really got aggressive,” Mount Union coach Paul Hesse. “The eighth inning we put things together, got a safety squeeze, stole some bases and started getting more and that put pressure on (John Carroll) them.”
John Carroll broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Joe Veltri drew a walk on a full count, was sacrificed to second and scored when Jimmy Spanga singled up the middle. Mount Union answered in the very next half inning. Mathis drew a four-pitch walk, stole second, and scampered home on a Knott single.
The Blue Streaks answered in the home half of the sixth inning. Mark Huddle led off with a double. Two batters later Connor Marrero walked. Veltri plated both with a rocket down the left field line to give the Blue Streaks a two-run cushion.
In the eighth inning is when the flood gates opened. Mount Union sent 12 hitters to the plate in the inning and despite leaving the bases loaded pushed six runs home taking a four-run lead. It was a lead they would not relinquish.
Kevin Rosinski and Billy Turosky struggled on the hill for John Carroll in the eighth frame. “We had trouble throwing strike one out of the bullpen,” John Carroll head coach Marc Thibeault said.
