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Box Score (PDF)

FLORENCE, Ala. – The Ohio baseball team (3-1) clinched the series victory after taking down North Alabama (1-3), 6-4, on Sunday afternoon at Mike Lane Field.

Sophomore RHP Braxton Kelly (Ulysses, Ky.) tossed 5.0 innings in relief out of the bullpen for his first win of the year. Kelly allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out five batters.

Junior LHP Brett Manis (Port Huron, Mich.) shut the door in the ninth for his second save of the weekend. Manis struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to earn the save.

Junior RHP Chace Harris (New Marshfield, Ohio) started the game for Ohio and tossed 2.0 innings and struck out two batters while allowing two earned runs. Junior RHP Edward Kutt IV allowed one run in the eighth inning and fanned one batter.

At the plate, Ohio was led by senior RF Trevor Hafner (Perrysburg, Ohio) with three RBI. Hafner was 2-for-5 with two singles, a run scored and a sacrifice fly.

Redshirt sophomore RF Michael Richardson (Cambridge, Md.) and redshirt sophomore LF Trevor Lukkes (Tustin, Calif.) each drove in one RBI. Richardson finished 1-for-4 with a single, a run and a walk while Lukkes was 1-for-4 with a single.

Redshirt freshman 2B Xavier Haendiges (Salem, Ind.) reached three times with a single and two walks and scored two runs. Redshirt junior SS Joe Weisenseel (Strongsville, Ohio) scored one run after reaching on a single.

As a team, Ohio had seven hits and reached six times on walks.

Ohio took the lead in the first on a Hafner single that scored Richardson.

UNA scored twice in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Ben Kiefer and a groundout to the pitcher.

OU scored four times in the fifth inning. Weisenseel reached on a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher after an error which brought home redshirt junior Dan McCauley (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to tie the game. Richardson then brought home Haendiges, who reached on a single. Hafner immediately singled to score Weisenseel to go up 4-2. With two outs in the inning, Lukkes singled to bring home Hafner, who had advanced to second base on a balk.

Ohio extended its lead to 6-2 in the sixth inning when Hafner hit a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Haendiges, who reached on a walk, advanced to second on a Weisenseel single and to third on a passed ball.

UNA scored in the seventh and eighth both on doubles but was unable to overcome the Ohio advantage.

Manis came in at the top of the ninth and fanned all three batters to give Ohio the 6-4 win.

Ohio will continue nonconference play against Saint Louis next weekend in Lexington, South Carolina. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m.

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