ATHENS, Ohio ? In the shortest game of the season, Ohio starter Derek Witt (Powell, Ohio) got four runs behind him early and cruised the rest of the way to a complete game shutout as the Bobcat baseball squad recorded an 8-0 victory over IPFW in a 1:45 affair Friday evening at Bob Wren Stadium.

In one of the most dominating pitching performances by an Ohio hurler in 2005, Witt?s (6-3) third complete game of the season ? and first shutout ? was the story of the night. He retired the Mastadons in order six times in the game, only allowed one runner past second base and faced just 32 batters on the night. Witt struck out nine and walked just one to raise his season strikeout-to-walk ratio to four-to-one.

The Bobcats (24-19-1) wasted no time putting runs on the board. After Witt set the Mastadons (21-22) down in order in the top of the first, the Ohio bats nearly went through the order in the home half. The first four batters singled as Bryan Buck (Hudson, Ohio), Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio), Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.), and Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) all reached base before the first out was recorded. Sabatini?s single through the right side plated the first run of the night, but Colopy was thrown out at third on the play. Then, with two outs, Jon Vondrell (Centerville, Ohio) jacked the first pitch he saw from IPFW starter Eric Lambert over the left field wall for a three-run homer and a 4-0 advantage.

With four runs behind him, Witt rolled through the second and third innings before the Mastadons finally threatened in the fourth. A single and a double had IPFW in business with runners on second and third and no outs, but Witt retired the next three batters in a row to keep the visitors scoreless.

Crabtree led off the bottom of the fifth for Ohio with his career-high tying 10th home run of the year. The 1-0 rocket over the right-center field wall brought him within eight hits of setting the Bobcats? all-time record and moved him into sole possession of sixth place on Ohio?s all-time home run list.

Ohio tacked on another tally in the seventh as a two-out error by the IPFW left fielder allowed Crabtree to come home from third on a single by Vondrell. The Bobcats then got two more in the eighth. With Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio) on following a single, Buck singled and the left fielder?s throw to the bag at third skipped past the base and Walker jogged home for 7-0 lead. Colopy then sent a sacrifice fly to center that plated pinch runner Brian White for the Bobcats? eighth and final run of the night.

Buck, Sabatini, Crabtree, Vondrell, and Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) all ended up with two hits on the night and Vondrell?s homer game him a team-high three RBIs.

Lambert (5-4) pitched all eight innings for IPFW, but took the loss. He surrendered six earned runs on 13 hits and struck out one while walking three.

Ohio and the Mastadons will get back at it tomorrow evening with a 7 p.m., first pitch. Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) (2-2) is scheduled to get the ball for the Bobcats while IPFW?s starter has yet to be announced.