Baseball Earns 2017 GLIAC Tournament Title with 8-4 Win Over Tiffin

GLIAC TOURNAMENT – CHAMPIONSHIP

#1 NORTHWOOD VS. #3 TIFFIN

SCORE: Northwood 8, Tiffin 4

RECORDS: Northwood 43-11, Tiffin 32-22

LOCATION: Athletes in Action Sports Complex, Grady's Field, Xenia, Ohio.  

RECAP: Northwood shows resiliency after falling behind 4-0 with eight unanswered runs to earn the 8-4 win over Tiffin and win the 2017 GLIAC tournament for the first time in school history.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Tiffin opened the game with a crooked number in the top of the first inning. The Dragons used a walk to Kyle Lento and three consecutive singles by Jay Smith, Alec Mccury, and Devon Fisk to plate two runs and lead 2-0.
• Tiffin added another in the second on a RBI single by Kyle Lento and one more in the top of the third on a RBI groundout by Kyle Durham to take a 4-0 lead.
• The Timberwolves came back in the bottom of the third to score their first runs of the game. Robert Spencer and Travis Janes set the table with lead off singles. After Richie O'Neil sacrificed to advance them to second and third, Connor Foley drew a walk to load the bases for David Vinsky. Vinsky laced a single up the middle scoring two to make it 4-2.
• After both defenses made solid plays in the field and turned twin killings to keep the score 4-2, the Timberwolves took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth. Foley led off with a walk, followed by Vinsky who reached on an error to put two aboard for Ryan McClelland. MCClelland brought the crowd to its feet with a no-doubt home run well beyond the right field fence for a three run blast putting Northwood up 5-4.
• Neither team mustered any offense through the sixth and seventh innings, but the Timberwolves were able to add three runs of insurance in the bottom of the eighth. O'Neil drew a one out walk, and Connor Foley then doubled to put runners at second and third. Vinsky then hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring O'Neil. After McClelland was intentionally walked, Javier Martinez hit a two run single through the left side scoring Foley and McClelland putting Northwood on top 8-4.
• The top of the ninth would not be easy for Northwood despite leading by four runs. Tiffin loaded the bases to put the tying run at the plate, but Lennon Gwizdala pitched out of it with a strike out and inducing a fly ball to center that Travis Janes caught for the final out and again, the Timberwolves made history with a GLIAC tournament title for the first time in program history.

GAME 1 STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 8/12/1 Tiffin 4/9/2
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 12 Tiffin: 11
• Winning Pitcher: Matt Stojkov (5-0) 2.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 1K
• Losing Pitcher: Brady Ward (2-2) 0.2 IP, 1H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Ryan McClelland (2-3 HR, 3RBI)
• David Vinsky (2-4, 3RBI)
• Javier Martinez (1-4, 2RBI)

GAME NOTES

• Northwood batters did not strike out the entire game
• For the first time in program history, the Northwood Timberwolves are the GLIAC tournament Champions.
• Northwood has now won nine games in a row and 16 out of 18 overall.
• The 43 wins add to the school record total. The Timberwolves are now 32 games over the 500 mark, a program best.

• At the conclusion of the 2017 GLIAC Tournament, the following Timberwolves were named to the "All-Tournament Team"

C:  Javier Martinez

1B:  Ryan McClelland

2B: Robert Spencer

OF: David Vinsky

OF: Connor Foley

SP: Tyler Jandron

SP: Ian Dimitrie 

COACH JORDAN BISCHEL

"It was a special weekend for our program. I'm proud of how we battled after we fell behind today. We are excited to know we will have an opportunity to play again next weekend."  

UP NEXT

• Northwood will await the NCAA Midwest Regional bracket that will be announced later tonight by the NCAA selection committee. (Sunday, May 14, 2017). The Timberwolves will presumibley be the #1 seed in the Midwest Region.