AKRON, Ohio - Behind eight solid innings of work on the mound from starter Ross Liersemann, and a five-run outburst in the sixth inning, Akron dealt the Bobcats a 8-3 loss in the series opener of a Mid-American Conference baseball series Friday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.

The Bobcats (24-24-1, 8-9-1 MAC) touched Liersemann the for a tying run in the second, but were shutout the next four frames by the Akron right-hander and never caught up as they dropped their fifth-straight decision.

The host Zips (23-26, 10-7 MAC) were the first to hang a tally on the scoreboard with a run in their second at-bat. The Bobcats were able to answer right back in the top half of the second, however, as Dusty Hammond's (Bellefontaine, Ohio) two-out single to center field plated Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) for a 1-1 tie.

After Akron tacked on single scored in the third and fifth innings, the decisive sequence of the game came in the home half of the sixth. Marcus Geiselman led off with a single and Doug McNulty took the first offering from Bobcat starter Derek Witt (Powell, Ohio) over the right field wall for a 5-1 lead. When the dust settled, the Zips had plated three more runs to go ahead 8-1. Akron got just one a hit and Witt walked a batter, but the Zips were aided by two Ohio errors to continue the inning.

Breaking a four-inning scoring drought against Liersemann, Ohio was able to get a pair of runs back in the eighth. Hammond led off with a single and Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) followed with a double down the right field line to get the Bobcats in business. After Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) struck out, Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) singled through the right side to bring home both runs.

The Bobcats got the first runner on in their last at-bat as Bryant Witt was hit by a pitch from Pat Gliha, but the Akron reliever retired the next three Bobcats in order to end any hope of a rally.

With today?s loss to Akron, the Bobcats needed sweeps by Western Michigan over Bowling Green and Miami over Kent State to stay alive. The Redhawks defeated Kent State 6-3 Friday afternoon, but Bowling Green dropped the Broncos 8-3 moments later to mathematically end Ohio?s hopes of a MAC Tournament bid.

Derek Witt (6-4) threw his fourth complete game of the season, but took the loss after surrendering eight runs ? five earned ? on 10 hits. The junior struck out six and walked four.

Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.), Hammond, and Bryant Witt all finished with two hits for Ohio. Crabtree finished 1-for-4 on the day and now needs five hits in the remaining two games to break Ohio?s all-time hits record of 268, set by Ryan Kyes in 2001.

Liersemann (4-5) game up 11 hits to Ohio, but only allowed three runners to cross to earn the victory. He struck out seven and walked three in eight innings of work.

Ohio and the Zips will get together for the second game of the series tomorrow with a scheduled start of 1 p.m. Gressick (2-3) will go to the hill for the Bobcats while Akron is scheduled to start Tom Farmer (3-2).