(EASTLAKE, Ohio) — On Friday, the Lake Erie College baseball team faced off with Ohio Valley at Classic Park in Eastlake. In the first game, the Storm topped the Fighting Scots, 6-1. But in the second game, OVU got their revenge, taking things by a score of 7-0. Lake Erie's record moves to 6-29 on the season, while OVU's goes to 6-32.

Game 1

The Storm found quite a rhythm in Game 1 of this doubleheader, mixing a combination of strong offense with strong pitching to secure a victory to open this final series of the season. Starter Tyler Bryant was dominant in this one, going 9.0 innings and allowing only the one run. He threw 160 total pitches, allowing four hits, four walks, and getting 13 strikeouts. Likely his final appearance of 2021, head coach Gary Vaught used every last ounce of stamina in Bryant's right arm to give the bullpen some rest and get the Storm through this one.

Meanwhile, on the hitting side of things, Lake Erie first got on the board in the third inning, when shortstop Jesse Barrios knocked an RBI double down the left field line to give the Storm an early 1-0 lead. In the fifth, a sacrifice fly by Luis Vergara-Schoonewolff plated the second Storm runner of the day, before another run scored later that inning on a catcher throw-out attempt at second with another runner on third, who proceeded to come home safely on the play. And then in the eighth inning, an Eddie Morris double gave the Storm yet another run, before a Josue Cruz single pushed across two more later that inning.

In total, the Lake Erie offense got 14 hits off of Ohio Valley pitching in this game, including 11 off of starter Eero Perkola, who allowed five earned runs, before reliever Tyler Mondoux allowed the sixth. Barrios, Donaldson, Collins, and Morris all got doubles for the Storm, and Barrios, Vergara-Schoonewolff, Morris, and Cruz all had RBI.

Game 2

But then the second game of the doubleheader came around, and the Scots simply had the Storm's number in this one, shutting them out 7-0 in a seven-inning game. The tone was set in the top of the first inning, when OVU batters jumped all over Lake Erie starting pitcher Cade Wendel, putting up a four spot before the Storm could even come to the plate. Wendel ended up going 6.1 innings in the game, giving up seven runs (six earned), eight hits, and nine strikeouts. Tristan Mayer pitched 0.2 innings as well.

Ohio Valley saw tremendous production from lefty starter Ryan Valentine, who pitched all seven innings and earned himself the win, only giving up five hits and walk, striking out nine. Valentine kept Lake Erie at bay all day, not even allowing a single extra-base hit. Luis Vergara-Schoonewolff was the lone Storm batter to register two hits; five starters got zero.

Now, the Storm have only two games left before this 2021 season draws to a close, in the form of another doubleheader against Ohio Valley on Saturday. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 12:00 pm EST.