Blue Streaks baseball squad wins three of four games to start the season

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Joe Olsavsky (blue neck gator) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single against Baldwin Wallace on March 13, 2021.

Isabella Eke, Staff Reporter

The John Carroll University Baseball team faced Baldwin Wallace on March 13 and 14, for their season-opening weekend. On March 13, the Blue Streaks strung together both wins, allowing them to sit comfortably at a 2-0 record to start the season. Then, on March 14, JCU and BW split the series, with BW winning the first game (12-4) and JCU winning the second (10-7), moving JCU to a 3-1 start overall.

March 13

John Carroll University baseball catcher Henry Haracz winds up before throwing out a runner at second base in a game against Baldwin Wallace on Saturday, March 13. (Isabella Eke)

 

In game one, Junior Mitchell Midea took the mound and pitched six frames while putting up 10 strikeouts. Senior right-hander Andrew Steele followed, earning the win for the Blue Streaks

Most notably, the game was tied going into the ninth inning. Steele kept the Yellow Jackets at bay in the top of the ninth, giving the Blue Streaks a chance in the bottom of the ninth. In the last frame, junior Benjamin Surman reached third base on two separate errors, which allowed freshman second baseman Joe Olsavsky to hit a shot out to left field. Surman came home, ending the first game in a walk-off.

In game two, the Blue Streaks won 6-4 against the Yellow Jackets. Olsavsky continued his hot start by hitting a dead center, 400-foot home run. This gave the Blue Streaks an insurance run, securing them the win. Sophomore pitcher Matthew Aukerman received the win.

March 14

Christian Cassaro at-bat for the Blue Streaks in a game against Baldwin Wallace on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

Game one for the Blue Streaks was a rough go. BW handed JCU their first loss of the season with a 12-4 final score. Senior pitcher Nicholas Michel could not find a rhythm, causing him to only pitch one-third of an inning. He was replaced by senior Erich Payne, who survived 4 2/3 innings, putting up five strikeouts. Olsavksy notched two hits in this game, continuing his hot streak. 

Game two was a different outlook for the Blue Steaks, as senior John Merrill started on the mound. Although BW scored a run in the bottom of the first, Merrill held them off through the fifth inning. The Blue Streaks had key performances from junior Henry Haracz (3-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and senior Sam Heaton (3-5, BB) for the win.