Baseball splits OAC home opener with Heidelberg

Muskingum opened Ohio Athletic Conference play on Saturday at home with a pair of tightly contested games against Heidelberg, earning a 4-3 victory in the opener before falling by the same score in the nightcap. Both games featured strong pitching, timely hitting, and late-inning drama in front of the home crowd. The game was John Glenn Youth Baseball and Softball Day at the field.

Game 1 – Muskingum 4, Heidelberg 3
After falling behind 1-0 early, the Muskies erupted for four runs in the third inning to seize control. Heidelberg chipped away with runs in the fifth and seventh innings. After a strong start from sophomore Jake Valentine, senior Max Vosters locked things down to secure the save and OAC-opening win.

Muskingum Highlights

• Sophomore Jasper Owens: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the third
• Junior Grant Mellerson: 2-for-4, run scored
• Senior Jackson Duchesne: 2-for-4, helped fuel the third-inning rally
• Sophomore Lex Castaneda: RBI single in the third inning
• Sophomore Jake Valentine: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, earned the win
• Senior Max Vosters: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, shut the door to earn the save

Heidelberg Highlights

• Thomas McGuire: 2-for-4, RBI, two doubles
• Brayden Tucker: 2-for-3, solo home run
• Logan Walpole: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB

Game 2 – Heidelberg 4, Muskingum 3
Game two was another back-and-forth battle, with Muskingum answering Heidelberg's scoring efforts throughout the contest. The Muskies struck in the second, fourth, and fifth innings to keep the pressure on.

Heidelberg used a two-run third inning and a go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth to build a 4-2 advantage. Muskingum responded in the bottom half of the fifth to cut the deficit to one and continued to threaten late, by having the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Muskingum Highlights

• Junior Aiden Reis: 2-for-5, 2 runs scored, RBI
• Junior Conner Thamann: 2-for-5, run scored, stolen base
• Senior Jackson Duchesne: 1-for-5
• Freshman Josh Beavon: RBI single to get Muskingum on the board
• Freshman Colten Muhlenkamp: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, battled through six innings

Heidelberg Highlights

• Grant Bomer: 3-for-4, HR, double, 4 RBI, drove in all four runs
• Brayden Tucker: 2-for-4
• Aidan Cummings: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER

Up Next

Muskingum next hosts Pitt.-Greensburg on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. The contest is Muskingum's One Love Game.