The IU Columbus baseball team traveled to Oakland City over the weekend to open their River States Conference schedule. The Mighty Oaks were the preseason pick to win the conference, and they looked the part as they swept the three game series.

Friday, February 27

IU Columbus jumped in front early but couldn't hold off a pair of big innings from Oakland City University in an 11-5 setback Friday at Konkler Field.

IU Columbus (3-12) battled throughout, highlighted by a four-run fourth inning that briefly gave the Crimson Pride a 5-3 lead.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first, IU Columbus answered in the second when Ty Nicholson launched a solo home run to left — his first of the season — to get the Crimson Pride on the board.

The offense broke through in the fourth. A throwing error by the Oakland City catcher set the tone, and Wyatt Sutton delivered an RBI single to make it 3-2. Moments later, Grayson Roll tied the game with a run-scoring single, and Carson McNulty capped the rally with a two-RBI single to push IU Columbus in front, 5-3.

McNulty finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, while Roll added two hits and an RBI. Sutton also drove in a run as part of a nine-hit attack.

Oakland City (14-2) quickly countered in the bottom half of the fourth with a three-run home run from Simon Gaines to reclaim the lead at 6-5. The Wolves broke the game open in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits, including a solo home run by Oliver Hamilton and a three-run double from Marcos Arocho.

After issuing seven walks and hitting three batters, IU Columbus pitching settled down late. Blaze Schultz provided 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing no hits while striking out four to stabilize the game over the final frames.

Saturday, February 28
Game 1
Saturday's first game of the doubleheader looked promising as the Crimson Pride loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 1st, but they came up empty. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd when Oakland City's offense got cranked up. They scored 7 runs in the frame, including a pair of 3-run homers by Nazhir Bergen and Andrew Gillihan. The Mighty Oaks added 9 more runs in the next 3 innings, while Tommy Johnson and Evan Price combined for a 5-hit shutout in a 16-0 blowout.

Game 2
Indiana University Columbus struck first Saturday afternoon, but a decisive fifth inning from Oakland City University proved to be the difference in a 9-2 loss at Konkler Field.

IU Columbus dropped to 3-14 on the season, while Oakland City improved to 16-2

The Crimson Pride manufactured two runs in the second inning to grab early momentum. Trey VanMeter led off with a single and later scored on an RBI knock from Gavin Lash, who advanced to second on an outfield error. Quentcy Perry reached on a bunt that forced a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing Lash to score an unearned run and give IU Columbus a 2-0 advantage.

Oakland City responded in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from Eric Correa and later tied the game at 2-2 following a double-play ball that allowed a run to score.

The turning point came in the fifth. The Mighty Oaks plated five runs despite recording just one hit in the frame. The Crimson Pride pitchers gave up six walks, one hit batter, one error and a three-run homer by Nazhir Bergen. The long inning extended the lead to 7-2.

Oakland City added two more runs in the sixth on a two-run double by Oliver Hamilton to seal the scoring.

IU Columbus finished with five hits on the afternoon. The Pride turned two double plays defensively and showed aggressiveness on the bases with stolen bases from Perry and Cortez Jenkins.

Starter Riley Mertl worked 4.1 innings, allowing four runs while striking out two. The bullpen combined to cover the final 1.2 innings, with Lash finishing the contest on the mound.

Next on the schedule
The Crimson Pride continue conference play as they travel to Portsmouth, Ohio to face Shawnee State University with a single game Friday, March 6 and a doubleheader Saturday, March 7.