KENT, Ohio - Bobcat right-hander Derek Witt (Powell, Ohio) finished one out shy of a complete game and Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) went 3-for-5 at the plate as Ohio dropped Mid-American Conference East Division rival Kent State by a final of 6-2 Friday afternoon in the opening game at Schoonover Stadium.

In the longest outing of any Bobcat pitcher this year, Witt (2-2) threw 8 2/3 innings and allowed Kent State just two runs on nine hits and struck out a season-high five batters.

?He was hitting his spots, throwing strikes, fielding his position very well, and we played very good defense behind him,? said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone.

At the plate, Colopy sparked the Ohio (7-12, 2-2 MAC) offense with RBI singles in the second and ninth innings to highlight his second three-hit game of the season. Meanwhile, Jared Willis (Logan W.Va.) and Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) continued their recent hitting success with 2-for-4 performances.

Fueled by three Kent State (13-10, 2-2 MAC) errors in the first inning, the Bobcats tallied two runs to take an early lead Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) and Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) each reached on fielding errors, then advanced to second and third on an errant pick-off attempt. Willis then followed with a single to right field to bring home Sabatini and a Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) line-out plated Gressick for a 2-0 Bobcat lead.

Three of the first four Ohio batters singled to start the second frame, including Colopy?s first of the day to score Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio), but Kent State starter Jason Brunke got Gressick hit into a double play to end the threat with the Bobcats ahead 3-0.

The Golden Flashes broke through on Witt in the home half of the second with an RBI groundout from Eric Holick, but the Bobcat hurler stranded another potential KSU run at third with a second-straight grounder to end the inning.

The Bobcats added another tally in the sixth as contact by Brian White (Frankfort, Ohio) brought home Willis, who drew a walk and advanced on a single by Hammond. Ohio added two more runs in the ninth for good measure as RBI singles by Colopy and Gressick pushed the Bobcat lead to 6-1.

?Brian swung the bat well and we had some guys make contact with the ball when we needed it to be moved,? Carbone said.

The only real bind Witt got in on the day came in the ninth. With a runner on, Holick doubled to right center to bring home the Flashes second run of the game. Carbone decided to go to his bullpen to close things out and called on Dan O?Rourke (Monongahela, Pa.). The senior reliever walked Emm Burriss before retiring Joe Tucker on a strikeout to close out the game in Ohio?s favor, 6-2

The Bobcats have now won four games in a row, a feat they accomplished just three times a year ago. A win in either of the next two games would give Ohio its first series victory over the Flashes since the 1998 season.

?We did a good job at the plate and did a good job on defense today,? Carbone said. ?The best game we?ve played all year probably.?

Brunke (2-2) took the loss for Kent State after a seven-inning performance in which he allowed just two earned runs on six hits while Witt held MAC batting average leader Drew Saylor to a 1-for-4 outing at the plate.

The Bobcats and KSU will be back at it on Saturday afternoon at Schoonover Stadium with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.