The first game got off to a good start for the Cougars (16-13, 8-6 AMC) as MVNU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior shortstop Ross Yoder led off the game with a single to leftfield, was sacrificed to second by senior outfielder Garret Shivley, and came around to score on an RBI-single by junior second baseman Josh Estep (left).

The Cougars tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second inning after the first two batters were retired. Freshman designated hitter Michael Hendren started the two-out rally with a walk. Yoder followed with a single down the rightfield line, and Shivley drove in Hendren with a single through the right side of the infield. Following a walk to senior third baseman Richey Burgos, Estep lined a two-run single to left center to give MVNU a 4-0 lead.

The Panthers (24-10, 11-3 AMC), who are ranked No. 21 in the latest NAIA poll, answered the Cougars’ three-run second inning by scoring three runs in the top of the third inning to pull within 4-3. Felix Brown drove in the first run with an infield single. Eian Banks plated the second run with a fielder’s choice, and Joe Janusik capped the inning with an RBI-double to centerfield.

In the top of the fifth inning, a single by Janusik knotted the score at 4-4. Later in the inning, Matt Shiring put Ohio Dominican on top 5-4 with a run-scoring ground out as the go-ahead run scored before MVNU completed a 6-3-5 double play.

With two outs in bottom of the sixth inning, Burgos (right) tied the game at 5-5 when he blasted a solo home run to right center for the Cougars. It was Burgos’ team-leading eighth home run of the season and the 30th of his career.

The Panthers regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning, though, as Ohio Dominican took advantage of a hit batsman and a passed ball to set up a two-out, two-run single by Shiring to move back on top 7-5.

The bottom of the seventh inning got off to a promising start for MVNU as senior outfielder Marc Hadley and sophomore catcher Travis McInerney both reached on errors to put runners at first and third with no outs.

However, the possibility of a big inning was short-circuited when sophomore Matt Parks lined back to the pitcher Joe Pollock, who fired to first to nail junior pinch runner Nick Martindale for a double play.

Freshman pinch hitter Ricardo Rodriguez pulled the Cougars within 7-6 when he singled down the leftfield line to score Hadley. Hendren followed with a single to put runners at first and third, but Yoder hit a ground ball to third to end the game.

Senior lefty Levi Curry (5-2) suffered the loss for MVNU as he allowed 12 hits and seven runs (six earned) with five strikeouts and no walks over seven innings. He also hit three batters.

Ryan Robowski started and gave up nine hits, three walks, and four earned runs over five innings with seven strikeouts. Carter Garnon tossed one pitch in relief before leaving with an arm injury. Joe Pollock (3-1) worked the final two innings and earned the win as he scattered three hits and two runs.

Estep paced the Cougars’ offensive attack by going 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Yoder and Burgos both added two hits each. Wilbert Morales went 3-for-4 for the Panthers, and Brown, Janusik, and Greg Riesenberg had two hits apiece.

Ohio Dominican jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second game on an RBI-single by Janusik in the top of the first inning and run-scoring singles by K.C. Warden and Janusik in the top of the second inning.

MVNU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning when Yoder (left) led off the inning with a solo homer to left center - his sixth of the year - to make it 3-1.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cougars knotted the score at 3-3 when MVNU took advantage of two errors to score two unearned runs. The first run came in on an RBI-ground out by freshman outfielder Steve Williams, while the second run was the result of a dropped pop up on the infield with two outs with sophomore outfielder Kodi Veale scoring all the way from second on the play.

The Panthers wasted no time in regaining the lead, though, as Ohio Dominican used five hits and a sacrifice fly to score four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Janusik started the surge with a one-out home run to leftfield, Shiring added a two-run double to left center, and Warden tacked on a sacrifice fly to rightfield as the Panthers built a 7-3 advantage.

The Cougars closed the gap to 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning on Yoder’s two-run single to left center. However, MVNU failed to get any closer as they stranded two runners in the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Hadley singled to start things off for the Cougars. He was quickly erased, though, as Rodriguez grounded into a double play and Parks struck out as MVNU dropped its fourth straight game.

Junior right-hander Jason Decker (4-3) took the loss for the Cougars as he gave up 13 hits and seven runs in 4.1 innings with five strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Andy Carter (right) tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief as he scattered five hits with two strikeouts. Freshman lefty Andy Podolak retired the only batter that he faced.

David Colopy (6-1) earned the win for Ohio Dominican as he allowed just six hits, two walks, and five runs (three earned) over 5.1 innings with two strikeouts. Zane Miller recorded the final five outs to notch his first save as he gave up one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

Yoder went 2-for-4 with three RBI for MVNU, while Veale was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Meanwhile, Janusik had a big game for the Panthers by going 4-for-4 with three RBI. Banks added three hits, and Shiring, Riesenberg, Warden, and Germaine McAlpine each had two hits apiece as Ohio Dominican finished with 18 hits in the game.

The Cougars will look to return to their winning ways on Tuesday when MVNU will host Ohio State University-Newark in a non-conference doubleheader that will start at 1:00 p.m.