KALAMAZOO, Mich. ? Gaining a measure of revenge after a heartbreaking loss in the series opener Friday, the Ohio baseball squad took Saturday?s match-up by a final of 6-1 over Western Michigan on the strength of Anthony Gressick's (Lancaster, Ohio) arm and bat.

Making his seventh start on the mound of the season, Gressick (2-1) threw the first complete game of his career and finished 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs to propel Ohio (19-15-1, 7-5-1 MAC) to the victory over the Mid-American Conference West Division leading Broncos (20-14, 10-2 MAC).

Gressick and Western Michigan starter Dan O?Brien were locked in a pitcher?s dual through the first six innings with each getting out of bases loaded, no-out jams along the way before the Bobcats finally broke through in their seventh at-bat.

Western Michigan reliever Derek Schlecker set down the first two Bobcat batters to start the seventh, but Bryan Buck (Hudson, Ohio) reached on an error and it proved to be just the window that Ohio was looking for. Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) followed with a single to left center and Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) was hit by a pitch for the 12th time this season to load the bases. Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) then grounded to the second baseman, who chose to make the play at first, and Buck came home from third to break the ice. Gressick then followed with his third hit of the afternoon in as many at-bats to plate Colopy and Sabatini for a 3-0 advantage.

With Gressick in the middle of a run where he held the Broncos? bats at bay by retiring 15-consecutive hitters, Ohio took to the offensive again in the top of the eighth frame.

Once again the Bobcats ? with familiar names involved ? were able to push home three runs with it all starting with two outs. This time Buck singled to get things started and Colopy drew a walk. Sabatini then singled home Buck from second for a 4-0 lead and Crabtree followed with a double with two strikes in the count that scored two to push Ohio out to a 6-0 advantage.

A two-out double by Bronco shortstop Adam Rosales in the bottom of the eighth finally broke Gressick?s mastery of the WMU lineup and he scored one batter later on a single to cut the Bobcats? lead to 6-1, but the run would prove to be inconsequential.

Gressick (2-1) finished his day on the mound by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, a feat he accomplished five times during the game. The right-hander struck out seven batters and allowed only five hits in picking up his second winning decision of the year.

Gressick?s season-high 4-for-4 performance at the plate with a walk led all Bobcat hitters. He recorded singles in the second, fourth, and fifth innings before his RBI hit in the seventh.

?Anthony Gressick was the game today,? said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. ?His performance was a big shot in the arm for us.?

Sabatini also finished with a season-high three hits and drove home two. Crabtree extended his career-best hit streak to 16 games with his double in the eighth.

?Ben (Crabtree) has become an outstanding two-strike hitter, that?s something that he has really worked at,? Carbone said. ?I can?t say enough about what he means to us.?

Schlecker (5-3) took the loss in relief for Western Michigan. Broncos? starter O?Brien threw six innings and yielded seven hits to Ohio with five strikeouts and no earned runs.

The Bobcats will look to tomorrow?s rubber game as an opportunity to take their third MAC series in a row. Ohio will send freshman right-hander John Angelicchi (3-0) to the hill, while the Broncos will counter with southpaw Charlie Christner (3-1). First pitch is set for 1 p.m., in Hyames Field.