Urbana Smacked by ODU on Day 2 of Region IX
Blue Knights suffer 18-4 loss to Panthers
CANTON, Ohio (May 8, 2008) – Urbana’s road to the 2008 NAIA Region IX Baseball Championship got a lot more complicated after an 18-4 setback against Ohio Dominican (36-13) Thursday at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium. The Blue Knights (28-20) must now face Mount Vernon Nazarene, which also suffered a loss to the Panthers, on Friday, May 10 at noon. To capture the title, Urbana needs to beat the Cougars, thus eliminating them, and top ODU twice.

Urbana got on the board first when junior Matt Netherly lined a homerun over the right field fence. But, much like the weather, Urbana’s fortunes took a turn for the worse. ODU answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed again. After sophomore Kris Nealeigh singled to center field, Netherly (2-for-4 with a homerun, double and 2 RBI) added another RBI to his tally with a double down the left field line, to even up the score.

The Panthers didn’t fret, and put up five runs in the third and three in the fourth to pull away, 10-2. Urbana put two more up on a two-run single by sophomore Matt Murphy in the sixth. ODU inflicted more damage with a three-run sixth inning and a five-run eighth inning that was aided by a Joe Janusik grand slam.

Urbana had eight hits, to ODU’s 15. The Blue Knights also had four errors to the Panthers’ two mishaps.