LIMA, Ohio - The showdown in the winner's bracket of the WHAC Tournament between the top two teams in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference regular season went 4-1 to Northwestern Ohio over Davenport on Monday in the second game of the day for both teams. The game featured a pitcher's duel between UNOH's Mike Alexander and DU's Justin Palmbos. The pitchers each gave up a run in the first inning and then tossed three scoreless innings.

Northwestern Ohio broke the tie in the top of the fifth with a run and then scored twice in the eighth to add insurance. The Racers started off the game with back-to-back singles and Junior Gomez had a RBI single to center. Palmbos then left the bases loaded after a groundout. Alexander gave up three hits in the bottom of the first against Davenport as the first three hitters got a single. Brian Sobieski then had a RBI fielder's choice as the Panthers left two runners on base.

Kyle Fisher opened the fifth with a single and then was bunted over to third by Erich Gonzalez. Jeff Cardenas hit a RBI single to right center but Palmbos struck out the next two hitters to end further damage. Davenport had their best scoring chance in the seventh as Jeremy Vasquez led off with a single. Matt Hoge laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Vasquez into scoring position. Austin Petravicius grounded out moving Vasquez 90 feet from tying the game. Anthony DiPonio then struck out to end the inning.

UNOH took control with two runs in the eighth aided by a dropped foul pop by Nolan Page. Gomez got a second life and then doubled to start the inning. Jonathan Cheshire replaced Palmbos and got a grounder to move the runner to third with one out. Felix Correa pinch hit and hit a grounder to first as DU played the infield in, but Page had to rush the throw home and left it short allowing the third run to score. Cheshire then hit a batter and yielded a single to load the bases. DayFran Ortiz reached on a fielder's choice and the Panthers could not turn the double play to end the inning as the fourth run scored.

Palmbos struck out a season-high 10 in his first start since April 2. He allowed eight hits in seven innings and threw an incredible 137 pitches (89 strikes). Alexander also went seven innings and walked just one with seven strikeouts. Austin Gridley went the final two innings and allowed no hits to earn his first save of the season. DiPonio and Page each had two hits but no one had an extra-base hit for the Panthers.