April 19, 2006
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - In control of the game through the first eight innings, the Ohio baseball squad gave up three runs in the ninth to visiting Xavier and lost by a final of 4-3 Wednesday night in non-conference action in Bob Wren Stadium.
Ohio (12-18) got a tally in the fifth and two more in the sixth to build a 3-0 lead behind strong pitching performances to that point from starter Yale Silverman and reliever Zeke Isaacs, but the Musketeers (13-27) were able to plate four runs over the course of the last three innings on the Bobcats' Dan Weiss and Kurt Smith to earn the come-from-behind victory.
After Silverman allowed one hit and struck out two to start the game off, Ohio was able to get on the board in its very first at-bat, but it would be the last score of the game until the sixth. J.T. Osburn drew a lead-off walk to start and Willie Walker pushed a one-out single through the left side to give the Bobcats runners at the corners. Anthony Gressick then followed with a single up the middle to bring home Osburn but Leesman recorded consecutive strikeouts to get out of the inning.
Silverman tossed scoreless frames in the second through fourth innings as well and struck out four batters while surrendering just two hits before Zeke Isaacs took over on the mound in the fifth.
Leesman settled in as well for the Musketeers. After Ohio sent six batters to the plate in the first, only one more reached on the freshman right-hander in the next three innings before he too was relieved heading into the fifth.
The Bobcats threatened to score in fifth on new Xavier reliever Joe Kohler. Dusty Hammond led off with a single and advanced to second on a groundout. After Hayden Johnston was hit with a pitch, Osburn reached on a grounder when the throw to first on the double play attempt went past the bag. Hammond tried to score from second in the sequence but was thrown out in a close play at the plate.
Isaacs picked up where Silverman left off and didn't allow a single Xavier batter past first base in the fifth and sixth frames.
Ohio did score on Kohler in the sixth, however. Bryant Witt opened the at-bat with a double to left-center and moved to third on a Walker groundout. Gressick then registered his second RBI single of the day to center field to bring home Witt for a 2-0 lead. Pinch hitter Kirk Payne then reached on an error while Gressick moved to third and Matt Stiffler followed with a pinch-hit to center to plate Gressick for a 3-0 advantage.
Dan Weiss became Ohio's third pitcher of the night in the seventh inning and the Musketeers mounted their first scoring rally of the night. Weiss walked the first two batters of the inning and a double got the Musketeers on the board. Weiss then induced an infield pop-up and doubled the runner off third base and struck out the next Xavier batter to end the threat.
Weiss was able to keep the Musketeers off the board in the eighth, but got in trouble again in the ninth. After a flyout, Weiss walked the second batter of the inning and surrendered a single. Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone went to the bullpen for the fourth time of the night with Kurt Smith, who didn't fare any better. Smith walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, then threw past the bag at second on a failed pick-off attempt which allowed Xavier's second run of the game. Smith recorded a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Sean Brewer took a pitch off the left field wall to bring home two runs and give the Musketeers their first lead of the night. Smith got his second strikeout of the inning to end the rally.
Osburn doubled to center to start the bottom of the ninth for Ohio, but when Witt tried to bunt him to third, Xavier hurler David Hartman threw to third to nail Osburn at the bag and the Bobcats lost the tying runner. Walker then grounded into a double play which clinched the victory for the Musketeers.
Smith (0-4) took the loss for Ohio after allowing the winning run and recording the last two outs of the game. Weiss was charged with three runs allowed in 2 1-3 innings of work.
Gressick finished 3-for-4 at the plate for the Bobcats with two RBIs and Stiffler had two hits in as many at-bats off the bench.
Brett Greenwell (4-2) became the winning pitcher with the Xavier comeback after tossing two scoreless innings and Hartman earned his first save of the year.
Brewer went 3-for-5 for the Musketeers and drove home two runs.
The Bobcats will now head to Buffalo for a three-game Mid-American Conference set this weekend against the Bulls. The series will get underway Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
