Tiffin University's baseball team had its six-game winning streak snapped by Saginaw Valley State in the first game of a doubleheader, but bounced back in the nightcap to inch closer to a berth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
TU fell to the Cardinals 3-1, then Jordan Liette threw his fourth-straight complete game as Tiffin won, 2-1.
The Dragons have two more games with Saginaw Valley State today. If they can get one win, or if Ohio Dominican loses to Grand Valley State, TU will play in the conference tournament for the first time.
In the first game Saturday, Tiffin was handcuffed by Saginaw Valley starting pitcher Mike Saunders. Saunders allowed just two hits and one run over a complete seven innings. He struck out one and walked three.
Eric Klepper allowed just two earned runs over seven innings and struck out one. The Cardinals put up single tallies in the second, fifth and sixth.
Kyle Robinson had two hits and drove in the Dragons' only run in the loss.
In the second game, Liette struck out six while scattering seven hits and one walk. The Dragons scored their two runs in the first inning, when Williams drove in a run.
TU moved to 23-24, 18-16 in the GLIAC.
HU baseball headed back to OAC tourney
After four consecutive regional appearances and three Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament titles in four years, Heidelberg's chances of even making the OAC tournament looked bleak a few weeks ago.
But the Student Princes have gotten hot, and will be playing in the postseason next week.
In the regular-season finale doubleheader, Heidelberg swept Capital 6-1, 4-2. HU has now won eight in a row and has locked up the No. 3 seed at the OAC Tournament which will begin Thursday at Marietta.
In the first game, Ryan Minteer worked a complete seven innings, striking out three and walking just one. HU's offense backed him by scoring single runs in six different innings for the win.
Eric Monroe had three hits for HU in the first game. Ricardo Lizcano, in his final home games, had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
In the second game, Heidelberg used five different pitchers to keep the Crusaders in check. Starter Tyler Fruhwirth went just an inning and a third, allowing three hits and two runs. The four relievers who followed him combined to pitch 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Chris Thomas threw four shutout innings, and Willard graduate Sylvester Nino threw one scoreless frame to push Heidelberg to 25-15, 11-7 OAC.
Ross Pruitt led the Heidelberg offense with three hits and two RBIs.
