ATHENS, Ohio ? Despite trailing early, a four-run third and quality work out of the bullpen propelled the Ohio baseball squad to an 8-4 victory against Cleveland State Tuesday in non-conference action at Bob Wren Stadium.

Ohio (5-12) dug itself into an early three-run deficit but bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the third. The bullpen duo of John Angelicchi (Woodmere, Ohio) and Yale Silverman (Baton Rouge, La.) kept the Viking offense at bay through the final five innings and cemented the Bobcats? fifth win of the season.

?I thought Angelicchi threw well,? said Ohio coach Joe Carbone. ?He?s still rehabbing, so we?re being careful with him, watching his pitch count. And I really thought Yale did a great job for us.?

Bobcat catcher Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) collected three hits on the day, scored once and drove in a run. Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) scored a run and picked up a pair of RBIs.

?We?re starting to hit the ball a little better,? Carbone said. ?But we?re still not swinging the bat the way I think we should.?

After a quiet first, the Vikings touched up the scoreboard in the second inning. With runners at first and second, Ben Smith singled sharply through the hole on the left side, plating the game?s first run.

Cleveland State (3-9) lit up the scoreboard again one frame later. Steve Chinn led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and eventually came around to score after a bloop single to center off the bat of Bobby Cash. Three batters later, Cash would score on a sacrifice fly to give the Vikings a 3-0 edge. That third run would spell the end of the day for starter Daniel Weiss (Cincinnati, Ohio), as Ohio coach Joe Carbone went to his bullpen for the first time and inserted Angelicchi. The freshman put out the fire, striking out the first batter he faced and ending the threat.

Weiss? first career start ended after 2 2\3 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits, striking out two and walking none.

Ohio sprung right back in it in the bottom half of the third, collecting four hits and capitalizing on a Viking miscue. With runners at first and second, Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) grounded to the second baseman, whose throw to first sailed into the visiting dugout and scored Ohio?s first run. With one out rather than two, Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) was able to follow with an RBI groundout to second and pull Ohio to within one. Gressick doubled to right to plate another Bobcat run and Crabtree singled sharply through right side one batter later to give the Bobcats their first lead of the contest at 4-3 after three innings complete.

In the top half of the fourth, the Vikings tied the game on a Bobcat error. With runners at first and second and one away, a potential inning-ending double play was foiled with an errant throw by the second baseman, allowing a run to cross and knot the score at four after three and a half.

In Ohio?s subsequent at-bat, Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) and Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) led off with singles and turned the lineup back to the top of the order. Leadoff hitter Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.)responded, reaching on a fielder?s choice that scored the go-ahead run.

Angelicchi and Ohio thwarted a Cleveland State threat in the sixth. With a runner on third and one away, a ground ball back through the box was fielded by Angelicchi, who fired to Colopy at third and created a run-down. After tossing once to Crabtree, Colopy chased the runner down and recorded the second out of the inning. The next hitter grounded out and the Vikings were left silent on the scoreboard.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Viking starter Matt Kaltenbach ran into trouble, loading the bases with two outs and Colopy?Ohio?s third hitter?at the plate. Viking skipper Jay Murphy went to his bullpen and called on Stephen Procner. The left-hander induced a Colopy fly out and ended the inning.

Kaltenbach went 5 2/3, allowed five runs?three earned?on seven hits. The right-hander struck out four and walked three.

Carbone went back to his bullpen entering the seventh, calling on senior Silverman to spell Angelicchi, who didn?t allow an earned run in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Silverman struck out the side in the seventh, sandwiched around a one-out double that produced no runs.

The Bobcats tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, as Witt singled home Crabtree who reached on an infield single, giving the Bobcats a 6-4 edge. That lead increased to three on a bases loaded, RBI groundout in the eighth from Gressick and swelled to four after pinch-hitter Jared Willis (Logan W.Va.) drew a bases-loaded walk.

Angelicchi picked up his first career win and Silverman was credited with the save. Kaltenbach took the loss for the Vikings.

Ohio will stay out of conference play on Wednesday, traveling to face Cincinnati at the UC Baseball Stadium. The Bobcats and Bearcats will tangle for the only time this season at 4 p.m.