Josh Jeffery tags Canisius' Manny Hernandez at home in the top of the eighth in Dayton's 8-7 extra-inning win over Canisius on Sunday.
Canisius Box Score | Oakland Box Score | Photo Gallery
Senior first baseman C.J. Gillman scored the game-winning run in the 10th inning of game one, and knocked in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth in the nightcap as the University of Dayton came through with a pair of wins over Canisius and Oakland by the identical scores of 8-7. Both games were played Sunday afternoon at UD’s Woerner Field.
Gillman was four-for-eight on the day, with three runs scored and two RBI. Senior centerfielder Bobby Glover had three hits in the two games, extending his season-long hitting streak to 19 games.
The Flyers remain home to face Ohio State on Wednesday. Game time is 3 p.m. ET.
CANISIUS RECAP
Dayton spotted Canisius a four-run lead, did not score until the sixth inning, and had to go to extra innings with the Golden Griffins for the second straight day, but this time the Flyers prevailed 8-7 in 10 innings.
Trailing 4-0, solo home runs by Zach Stewart and Bobby Glover pulled UD to within two. Canisius scored two more in the top of the seventh to go back up four, but the Flyers tied it with a four-run rally in the bottom of the inning.
After a scoreless eighth (scoreless only because Dayton leftfielder Ian Hundley threw a perfect one-hopper to Josh Jeffery to cut down Canisius shortstop Manny Hernandez for the third out), the Golden Griffins took a one-run lead in the ninth. Dayton tied the game with two outs in the ninth when Brian Blasik singled home Jeffrey.
Lefty Tommy Conrad, who came in relief in the ninth, set Canisius down 1-2-3 in the 10th. Senior first baseman C.J. Gillman put one in the gap in left center and slid in headfirst ahead of the throw. His hand came off the bag but he got it back on before the second tag was applied. Two pitches later, freshman DH A.J. Ryan turned on an inside pitch and hit the ball down the line to drive Gillman home.
Conrad got the win to improve to 2-0. Gillman finished the game three-for-four.
OAKLAND RECAP
Junior pitcher Bryce Lahrman made his first start of the year a solid one, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings. After Oakland took a 1-0 lead in in the top of the first inning, Dayton’s Ian Hundley tied it up with a leadoff home run. The Flyers added another run in the first, one in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead.
Oakland rallied with one run in the sixth inning and four in the eighth to take a 6-5 lead. Dayton second baseman Mel Skochdopole led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and then scored when Josh Jeffrey’s single to center was mishandled to tie the game. Hundley sacrificed Jeffrey to third. A walk to Bobby Glover and a hit-by-pitch on Brian Blasik loaded the bases, brining C.J. Gillman to the plate.
Gillman his the first pitch he saw to left-center, brining Jeffrey and Glover home.
With Matthew Miller on the mound for UD, Canisius’ first three hitters hit fly balls. Two were caught, but Aaron Cieslak’s home run made it a one-run game. Robby Enslen’s single put the tying run on base, but then one hitter later Skochdopole ranged far to his left into right field, spun and threw to Gillman for the final out.
Miller got credit for his first career win. Skochdopole, Glover and Jeffery each had two hits for the Flyers.
Dayton won three of its four games of the weekend, improving to 7-12 on the season.
