(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – It was a good start to the weekend as Walsh swept Ohio Dominican by scores of 9-5 in eight innings and 5-4 Friday afternoon. The wins gives helped the Cavaliers (22-20, 13-9, 10-6) gain some ground on Malone for the second place in the division.

The top two teams in each division qualify for the GLIAC Tournament based on divisional record. The final two teams of the six-team tournament qualify based on overall conference record.

The Cavaliers needed an extra inning in the first game against the Panthers (18-25-1, 5-21), but they made it count with four runs in the eighth.

Luke Caple drove in the first pair of runs in the extra frame with a single through the left side that scored James Thomas and Eric Conner. Andrew Stalnaker followed with a hit through the same spot to score Tyson Lautanen and Johnny Knight IV ended the rally with a single up the middle to score Caple.

Caple had a big game as he finished 3-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored. He started the scoring with a solo home run with two outs in the first. Knight IV added another run later in the inning with an RBI single to plate Stalnaker.

Ohio Dominican answered with a run in the first and a pair in both the third and fourth to take a 5-2 lead. The Cavs scored three in the top of the fifth to tie the game thanks to a triple by Lautanen to score Jason McPeek, a double by Caple to score Lautanen, and a double by Knight IV to score Caple.

Kyle Ward picked up the win in relief and improved to 3-1 on the season. He struck out one in the seventh, his only inning of work.

In the nightcap, Walsh trailed 2-0 early but came back to score a pair of runs in the third to tie the game thanks to RBI singles by Lautanen and Stalnaker. The Cavs then took the lead in the fourth when Knight IV scored on a wild pitch.

The scored remained 3-2 until the seventh when McPeek nailed a pitch over the left field fence with Brook Clark on base to make the score 5-2. The insurance runs on his conference-leading 12th home run was much needed as the Panthers scored two in the seventh to come within one.

Logan Bowles was again terrific on the mound as he remained unbeaten and picked up another win to go to 6-0. He gave up the four runs, three earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks in 6.1 innings of work. Lautanen made the switch to the mound to get the final two outs, one of which was a strikeout, and recorded his eighth save of the year, third-most in the GLIAC.

Walsh and Ohio Dominican will wrap up their series tomorrow with another twin bill in Panther Valley. First pitch has been moved up a couple of hours to 10 a.m.