DAYTON – The University of Dayton baseball team fell to Ohio on Friday afternoon by a score of 4-2 at DP&L Stadium. The Flyers offense managed just five hits and has now scored two runs or less in six of the team's 10 games, as they fall to 2-7-1 on the season. Ohio's record improves to 3-8 with the win.
 
KEY MOMENT

• Dayton trailed Ohio 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, but Riley Tirotta and Michael Cleary both drew walks with one out to put the game-tying baserunners aboard, then a double steal placed them both in scoring position. With the tying run on second base and just one out, Connor Wilson and Benjamin Blackwell both struck out to end the inning.

 
SCORING SUMMARY

• Top 1: Ohio 1, Dayton 0
  • Jack Longo reached on an error by Eddie Pursinger and advanced to second when the throw went into the Dayton dugout. Long advanced to third when Hunter Wolfe's pickoff throw went into center field and scored when a Riley Rott pop fly into center field dropped in between Benjamin Blackwell and Pursinger.

 

• Bottom 2: Dayton 1, Ohio 1
  • Riley Tirotta made it around the diamond on his own to tie up the game, beginning with an infield single and advancing all the way to third off an errant pickoff attempt. Tirotta would go on to score off a passed ball.

 

• Top 3: Ohio 2, Dayton 1
  • Ohio loaded the bases to open the inning on a Treyben Funderburg bunt single, a Jack Longo walk and a Trevor Lukkes single to center. Hunter Wolfe struck out Riley Rott for the first out of the inning, but hit the next batter Sebastian Fabik to force in a run. A 4-6-3 double play ended the inning to avoid additional damage.

 

• Bottom 4: Dayton 2, Ohio 2
  • Eddie Pursinger opened the inning with a double to left but ran into bad luck when a Connor Echols groundball hit him on the base paths for an out. Riley Tirotta singled to put runners on first and second for Dayton, then Michael Cleary walked to load the bases, but the Ohio catcher threw down to third base and launched the ball into the outfield, allowing Echols to score.

 

• Top 5: Ohio 3, Dayton 2
  • Jack Longo got a bunt single, then an error on the play allowed him to take second. Longo also stole third when Riley Tirotta left the bag at third to try and cover a shown bunt attempt. Riley Rott flied out to left field and Connor Echols nearly caught the tagging Longo at home with a cannon arm, but was just late and Ohio took back the lead.

 

• Top 7: Ohio 4, Dayton 2
  • Longo once again started off the scoring inning with a walk, then a sac bunt moved him into scoring position. Riley Rott singled to place runners on the corners and a Sebastian Fabik safety squeeze allowed Longo to score from third.

 
KEY STATS

• Three of Dayton's five hits were doubles. The Flyers had just two doubles on the season entering the game.
• Connor Echols, Eddie Pursinger and Alex Brickman were responsible for the UD two-baggers.
• Riley Tirotta was the only Flyer to record a multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with a run scored.
• Starting pitcher Hunter Wolfe finished with a line of 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6 K, 3 BB
• Ben Hughes pitched the final two innings for the Flyers and allowed just one hit and struck out two, while holding Ohio scoreless for the final frames.

 
UP NEXT

• In a bit of a schedule change, Dayton will now play three games against Canisius to close out the weekend. The series will begin on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., then the two teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).