GREENSBORO, N.C. ?In complete contrast to the first game of the series last night, the Ohio baseball team got back on track after a two-game slide with a 7-3 victory at UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon.

Following the first game of the series, which saw Spartan pitching hold Ohio to five hits while plating 11 runs of their own, the Bobcats returned the favor in game two by limiting UNCG to six hits, while posting runs in four different innings.

Ohio?s Rob Harmon (Villa Hills, Ky.) pitched six innings and allowed just three runs with five strikeouts to earn the victory for the second-consecutive outing and Derek Witt (Powell, Ohio) came on in relief to throw three frames of one-hit ball for the save.

The Spartans (6-4) struck in the first inning for the second day in a row, this time with two runs on three hits. With runners on the corners, further damage was suppressed when Harmon forced a pop fly to get out of the inning.

The Bobcats (3-5) were able to answer with one tally in their next at-bat as Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio) hit a two-out blast over the right field wall for his second-career home run. Two innings later Ohio would take its first lead of the series. With Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) and Brian White (Frankfort, Ohio) on base, Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) singled to left center to bring home Gressick. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) singled through the right side to score White and make it 3-2. Crabtree, however, was out at home on the throw and Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) followed with a strikeout to end the threat.

UNCG knotted the score up at 3-3 with a tally in the home half of the fifth inning, but the Bobcat hurlers would close the door the rest of the way.

?Harmon and Witt were able to keep us in the ballgame,? said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. ?Then we were able to break it open late in the game.?

With Patrick Currin on in relief of starter Ryan Falcon, the Spartan pitcher retired the first two batters he faced before the Bobcats turned the tide in the game with two runs on three-straight two-out hits. Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) got things started with a double to right field and Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) followed with a single and advanced to second on a throw home that Sabatini beat out to give Ohio the lead back. The next batter, Gressick, then drove a pitch to left field that brought home Colopy for an insurance run.

The Bobcats would tack on two more runs in the top of the eighth to seal the deal. White doubled to center, Crabtree singled through the right side and contact by pinch-hitter Jared Willis (Logan W.Va.) pushed home Crabtree for the sixth run of the day. After Walker grounded out, Witt dropped down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Crabtree from third to close out the scoring.

Crabtree and White each went 2-for-4 on the day, while Colopy added a 2-for-5 performance and Witt recorded two RBIs. Eight of Ohio?s nine starters reached base on the day.

Currin (0-2) took the loss for UNCG in relief. Falcon allowed three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts before turning the game over to the Spartan bullpen in a 3-3 tie after the sixth.

?They threw another great pitcher at us today and we have to give them credit, Mason (Friday?s starter) and Falcon are two of the best pitchers we have faced this year.?

Only two Spartan batters reached base twice and no one in the lineup recorded more than one hit.

The win for the Bobcats was the first over UNCG since a 22-5 victory in 1991 and broke the 11-game winning streak the Spartans brought into the day over Ohio.

?We still have to do a better job of protecting with two strikes. We?re still not making good contact,? Carbone said. ?But we did play good defense and got good pitching from Harmon and Witt.?

Ohio and the Spartans will face each other in the rubber game of the series tomorrow at UNCG Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.