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FLORENCE, Ala. – The Ohio baseball team (2-1) split a Saturday doubleheader with North Alabama (1-2) at Mike Lane Field. Ohio won the first game, 6-4, and lost the second game, 6-3. Both games were played in seven innings.

GAME ONE (BOX SCORE)

Redshirt sophomore RHP Jack Liberatore (Greensburg, Pa.) grabbed his first win of the season after tossing 5.0 innings. Liberatore fanned three batters and allowed just three runners to get on base while allowing one earned run to score.

After getting the win yesterday, senior LHP Nick Byrnes (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned his first save of the season for Ohio after tossing 1.2 innings of shutout baseball. Byrnes fanned one batter and allowed just one hit.

At the plate, Ohio was led by redshirt sophomore INF Michael Richardson (Cambridge, Md.), who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two singles.

Junior INF Aaron Levy (Cincinnati, Ohio) also drove in two RBI after going 1-for-3 with a single that scored two runs in the top of the first inning.

Senior INF Trevor Hafner (Perrysburg, Ohio) had one RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Junior OF Isaiah Peterson (Lincoln, Neb.) scored twice and was 2-for-3 with a double. Redshirt sophomore Spencer Harbert (Middletown, Del.) scored two runs and was 1-for-3 with a single and a walk.

As a team, Ohio had six hits, one double and reached on a walk five times.

OU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Levy had a single that scored both Harbert and junior OF Sebastian Fabik (Lebanon, Ohio).

Ohio took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second with a Richardson single that scored Peterson. Ohio went up 4-0 in the frame when redshirt junior INF Joe Weisenseel (Strongsville, Ohio) scored on a wild pitch.

North Alabama got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with a sacrifice fly.

A sacrifice fly for Ohio in the fifth inning that scored Harbert put Ohio up 5-1. Ohio was able to push its advantage to 6-1 in the sixth inning with a Richardson single that scored Peterson.

North Alabama added three runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning but Byrnes came in and shut the door for his first save of the season.

GAME TWO (BOX SCORE)

Redshirt junior C Devonte Washington (Twinsburg, Ohio) hit his first career home run in the second inning. Washington finished the day 2-for-2 with two RBI, a home run and a walk.

Lukkes drove in one RBI and was 1-for-3 with his first double of the year.

Sophomore RHP Collin Sells (Lancaster, Ohio) fell to 0-1 after his first start of the season. Sells pitched 3.2 innings and allowed four earned runs while striking out two batters. Junior LHP Alex Kuster (Lake Orion, Mich.) tossed 1.1 innings without giving up an earned run while freshman RHP Parker Maddox (Columbus, Ind.) threw one scoreless inning.

North Alabama took a two-run lead after a Brad Kiefer double in the first inning.

Ohio grabbed the lead in the second inning. A Lukkes double scored Hafner to cut the UNA advantage to 2-1. Ohio took the lead after Washington hit a two-run home run over the left field fence that scored Lukkes.

UNA tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a groundout to the second baseman.

The Lions took the lead on a Kiefer single in the fourth inning, giving him his second RBI of the afternoon.

The Lions added to their lead in the fourth to go up 6-3 after a sacrifice fly and a single scored two.

UP NEXT

Ohio will wrap up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT at Mike Lane Field.

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