HEIDELBERG, Ohio – The Lake Erie baseball team traveled to Heidelberg University for a "home" series against the Findlay Oilers. Findlay would take a 2-1 low-scoring victory in game one. Findlay would need extras to hold off Lake Erie in game two, winning 5-4. Findlay would steal game three 6-5 late. Lake Erie would avoid the sweep, winning game four 6-4.
 
Team Records
 
Lake Erie: 20-23 (12-16)
Findlay: 23-21 (15-11) 
 
Game Recaps
 
Game 1:
Findlay- 2
Lake Erie- 1
 
A low scoring affair in game one would see Findlay jump on the board first in the third to go ahead 1-0. Lake Erie would tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth on an RBI single from Seth Yacobucci. The Oilers would answer back in the fifth with one run on two hits for a 2-1 lead. The Storm offense would be silenced the rest of the way as Findlay would take a low scoring 2-1 victory in game one. 
 
W: Dylan Rouse (4-3) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K
L: Robert Helt (4-6) - 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
S: Camdon Tuttle (8) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 6, Oilers- 7
Walks: Storm- 2, Oilers- 2
Strikeouts: Storm- 13, Oilers- 11
Stolen Bases: Storm- 3, Oilers- 1
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 2, Oilers- 2
Strikeouts: Storm- 11, Oilers- 13
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 0, Oilers- 1
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 1, Oilers- 0
 
Game 1 Top Storm Performers: 
 
R-Fr. Seth Yacobucci: 1-4, RBI, K
Soph. Jaxson Christ: 2-4, 2B, K
R-Jr. Zimba Cadiz: 1-3, SB
 
Game 2:
Findlay- 5
Lake Erie- 4
(8 Innings)
 
Findlay would open the scoring in game two in the second, scoring three runs on three hits and an error for an early 3-0 lead. The Oilers would add one more in the third, scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. Lake Erie responded in the bottom half, putting up two runs on RBI singles from Travis Yankovich and Jaxson Christ, bringing the score to 4-2. Ty Sowers would tie the game up at 4-4 in the sixth with a two-run home run, his second of the season. Seven innings would not be enough as extra innings would be needed to finish game two. Findlay would plate one run in the eighth, putting them ahead 5-4. The Storm would threaten with runners on first and third, but each would be left stranded, and the Oilers would hold on for a 5-4 victory in extras.   
 
W: Logan Bragg (3-4) – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
L: Hunter Bays (0-1) – 2.0 IP, 0 H, R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 5, Oilers- 4
Walks: Storm- 2, Oilers- 3
Strikeouts: Storm- 9, Oilers- 8
Stolen Bases: Storm- 0, Oilers- 4
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 3, Oilers- 2
Strikeouts: Storm- 8, Oilers- 9
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 2, Oilers- 0
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 2, Oilers- 2
 
Game 2 Top Storm Performers:
 
Soph. Jaxson Christ: 2-4, RBI, R
Soph. Travis Yankovich: 1-4, RBI, K
Jr. Ty Sowers: 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, R, BB, 2 K
 
Game 3:
Findlay- 6
Lake Erie- 5
 
Lake Erie jumped ahead in the second, putting up four runs with an RBI single from Mitchel Szymczak, RBI fielder's choice from Zimba Cadiz, and an RBI double from Travis Yankovich for a 4-0 lead. Findlay would plate one run in the fourth and fifth, cutting the lead to 4-2. The Oilers would seize control in the seventh, putting up four runs on four hits to take a 6-4 lead. Szymczak would lead the bottom half off with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, but Findlay would hold and steal game three with a 6-5 win.
 
W: Carson Mellott (5-4) – 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K
L: Brandon Metivier (2-3) – 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 0 K
S: Camdon Tuttle (9) – 1.0 IP, H, ER, 0 BB, K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 3, Oilers- 4
Walks: Storm- 1, Oilers- 6
Strikeouts: Storm- 5, Oilers- 5
Stolen Bases: Storm- 2, Oilers- 2
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 6, Oilers- 1
Strikeouts: Storm- 5, Oilers- 5
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 1, Oilers- 0
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 0, Oilers- 0
 
Game 3 Top Storm Performers:
 
R-Soph. Mitchel Szymczak: 2-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, R
Sr. Garrett Esposito: 2-3, R
Soph. Travis Yankovich: 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K 
 
Game 4:
Lake Erie- 6
Findlay- 4
 
Lake Erie raced out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, with an RBI triple from Alex Jones and a three-run home run from Jaxson Christ, his second of the season. Findlay would plate their first run in the third inning, cutting the lead to 4-1 on two hits. The Storm added two runs in the fourth with Micah Geise scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI walk from Garrett Esposito, growing their lead to 6-1. The Oilers would continue fighting back, putting up three runs on four hits to bring the score to 6-4. Nicholas Oyster would quiet the Findlay offense and get the save to secure a 6-4 game four win.
 
W: Gregory Kennedy (5-3) – 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 Ks
L: Sebastian Stevens (3-3) – 1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, 0 Ks
S: Nicholas Oyster (1) – 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K
 
Key Team Stats:
 
Batting-
Runners Left on Base: Storm- 11, Oilers- 11
Walks: Storm- 9, Oilers- 4
Strikeouts: Storm- 8, Oilers- 7
Stolen Bases: Storm- 1, Oilers- 1
 
Pitching-
Walks: Storm- 4, Oilers- 9
Strikeouts: Storm- 7, Oilers- 8
Hit by Pitches: Storm- 0, Oilers- 0
 
Fielding-
Errors: Storm- 1, Oilers- 0
 
Game 4 Top Storm Performers:
 
Soph. Jaxson Christ: 1-3, HR (2), 3 RBI, R, 2 BB
Sr. Alex Jones: 3-3, 3B, RBI, BB
Sr. Garrett Esposito: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB
 
Series Evaluation
 
New Program Record: The Storm have shown throughout this season that they will put runners in motion with people on base. This season's team has broken the program record for stolen bases, which was set in 2023. The now-broken record of 80 stolen bases was broken in game three of the series with Graham Solak stealing second for their 81st stolen bag of the season and currently have 83 with four games left in the regular season. 
 
Day 1 vs Day 2: Lake Erie has shown some struggles to open up the series. In games one and two, the offense hit for a combined .198, while in games three and four, the offense hit a combined .300.
 
Playing for the Playoffs: The Storm began G-MAC play with an 8-4 record against the south division. Since hitting the north division, the Storm have struggled to a 4-12 record. Currently at 12-16 in the G-MAC, the Storm are in 5th place in the north division holding a one-game lead over Tiffin and are tied for 8th place. The Storm have not been to the G-MAC tournament since 2019.
 
Series History
 
Lake Erie's series defeat brings their all-time record to 20-25 against Findlay. With the game four victory, Lake Erie snapped a six-game losing streak against Findlay. Lake Erie's last series victory against Findlay came in 2019. 
 
Up Next
 
Lake Erie will finish the regular season at home with a series against Tiffin University beginning on Friday, May 2nd. Lake Erie will be playing for a chance to clinch a spot into the G-MAC tournament. 
 
Tiffin is currently 20-26 overall and 11-17 in the G-MAC. This weekend, Tiffin took three of four games against Hillsdale at home. In the 2025 G-MAC preseason poll, the Dragons were voted to finish 5th in the north division. 
 
Tiffin currently is 6th in the G-MAC in batting average (.274), 9th in ERA (6.57), and 8th in fielding percentage (.962 with 58 errors).