Blue Knights Take Two from Panthers
Urbana advances to playoffs on arms of Lawhorn and Blanton
URBANA, Ohio (May 4, 2008) – The Blue Knight baseball team came through in a big way, controlling its own destiny by winning two American Mideast Conference games against then league-leading Ohio Dominican (34-13, 20-5 AMC) Sunday. With an 11-2 convincing win and a 1-0 shutout Urbana University (27-19, 16-10 AMC) punched its ticket to the NAIA Region IX Tournament. Going into the games, the Blue Knights were ranked fifth in the AMC standings and only the top four advance to the Region IX playoffs. Urbana needed to win both to secure a spot because Walsh was nipping at the Blue Knights' heals. Even with a Cavalier win over Notre Dame today (results not in yet), Urbana and Walsh would be tied and the Blue Knights own the tiebreaker.
Urbana scored 11 unanswered runs and dominated in game one. The Panthers, who were fighting for home field advantage and the regular season championship, scored first, putting two runs up in the second inning. The Blue Knights answered in the third with a five-run inning aided by a 2 RBI single by senior Mike Heck and a base-clearing double by fellow senior Mike Bezak. Urbana wasn’t finished yet. The Blue Knights put five more runs on the Panthers in the fourth. Sophomore Matt Murphy had a hand in the first two runs, plating Zach Roll with an RBI double and then stealing home. Senior John Lindquist provided the rest of Urbana’s firepower with a three-run shot over the centerfield fence. Junior Steve Froese added an extra insurance run in the sixth with a bomb to the Grimes Center parking lot behind left field. Sophomore Cody Lawhorn (5-3) went the distance on the mound for Urbana, striking out five and giving up just six hits.
In sharp comparison, hits and runs were hard to come by in the second game. Urbana scored all it would need in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Kris Nealeigh started the inning off, reaching by a throwing error. Junior Matt Netherly advanced him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Heck doubled to left center to provide the eventual game-winning run. Junior Mike Blanton picked up the shutout for Urbana, striking out three and giving up just five hits.
