May 19, 2006

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio - Anthony Gressick's dash from second on an infield chopper delivered Ohio a walk-off victory in the first game, and Yale Silverman recorded the first complete game shutout of his career in the second, as the Bobcats swept a twi-night doubleheader from Bowling Green Friday in Bob Wren Stadium.

Recording its first twin bill sweep since May 22, 2004, Ohio (21-25, 13-13 MAC) evened its season record in Mid-American games by dropping visiting Bowling Green (26-26, 1-15 MAC) 7-6 and 12-0.

Gressick's clutch base running in the first game gave Ohio its second ninth-inning come-from-behind victory of the year while Silverman's masterpiece in the nightcap was the first nine-inning complete game shutout since Adam Russell accomplished the feat on March 12, 2003.  

Game #1 - Ohio 7, Bowling Green 6

In their first visit to Athens since the 2001 season, the Falcons got to Bobcat hurler Derek Witt for three early runs - two in the first and one in the second - but by the fourth inning Ohio had caught up.

Matt Stiffler took a one-out pitch over the right-center field wall in the third inning for his third home run of the year to get the Bobcats on the board.  Ohio then tacked on two more tallies in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Bryant Witt and a run-scoring groundout off the bat of Chris Klimko to tie the game at 3-3.

Despite surrendering the three early runs, Witt held BGSU the rest of his day before giving way to closer Chris Rigo.

With the Falcon bats in check, Ohio was able to break the 3-3 tie with a run in the home half of the seventh as Hayden Johnston scored on a passed ball.   The Bobcats then went ahead 5-3 with an eighth-inning round-tripper by Bryant Witt, his second of the year.

On for the save opportunity, Rigo could not close the deal for the Bobcats.  The right-hander stuck out the first batter he faced, but Klimko could not handle the pitch and the runner reached first safely.  Things snowballed from there as four of the next six batters reached on Rigo and a three-run shot off the left field foul pole by Eric Lawson in the midst of it all rocketed BGSU back into the lead, 6-5.

Despite Lawson's apparent heroics, the Bobcats were able to manufacture two runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-6 victory.

Pinch-hitter Kirk Payne started things off with a single to center and was sacrificed to second by a J.T. Osburn bunt.  Dusty Hammond then reached on a throwing error by the Falcon third baseman, which allowed Payne to come across with the tying score, but Hammond was thrown out trying to advance to third base on the play.   Gressick then singled to left and later stole second uncontested to put the winning run in scoring position.  Jon Vondrell then followed with a chopper to the BGSU third baseman and just beat the throw to first, but Gressick was going on contact and headed for home.  The throw to the plate was on time, but Gressick jarred the ball loose and the Bobcats had a 7-6 victory.

"Anthony Gressick does a lot of little things besides hit home runs and pitch," Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone said.  "He got a big base hit, stole a base and put himself in position to score the winning run.  On a slow-hit ball he instinctively took off for home and scored the winning run."

After recording the last out in the top of the ninth, Adam Goodpasture (1-0) was awarded his first career win.  Derek Witt allowed three runs - one earned - on five hits in eight innings of work.  The senior finished with four strikeouts and three walks in his last collegiate start. 

Bryant Witt led the Ohio offense with two RBIs and was one of six Bobcat bats to register two hits.

Tyler Johnson (0-4) took the loss in relief for BGSU after allowing four runs - two earned - on seven hits in 2 2-3 innings.  Falcon starter Alan Brech tossed six innings and allowed three runs - one earned - on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Lawson finished 4-for-5 in the game with four RBIs to pace the Falcon offense.

"I thought the first game was a well-pitched game by both pitchers," Carbone said.  "Our kids hung in there and battled and took advantage of some pretty good base running."

Game #2 - Ohio 12, Bowling Green 0

Friday's nightcap was all Bobcats from the beginning. Ohio got a single tally in the first inning as a passed ball allowed Osburn to cross home plate.   The Bobcats then went ahead 3-0 in their second at-bat on run-scoring hits by Johnston and Hammond.

Ohio continued to add to its lead as Klimko registered an RBI double in the fourth, then the Bobcats rolled across five runs in the fifth.  Gressick led things off in the frame with his team-leading sixth home run of the year and four more runs followed on a Stiffler triple, a Johnston single and double by Osburn.

The Bobcats tacked on three more runs in the home half of the sixth to surge ahead 12-0 as Bryant Witt and Brandon Besl recorded RBIs and a run scored on a BGSU error.

With the Ohio offense in control at the dish, starting pitcher Yale Silverman was cruising through the Falcon lineup.   After surrendering a single to the first BGSU batter he faced, the Falcons didn't get another base-knock until the seventh inning.  The senior right-hander retired the Falcons in order in the second-through-fifth innings before hitting a batter to lead off the sixth.        

One out shy of his first complete game in his first-ever start in a MAC game just 12 days ago against Akron , Silverman gave up just his fourth hit of the game in the ninth and was able to close the book on the Falcons with a 12-0 victory.

"He (Silverman) just pitched a great game and has been doing this for us all year," Carbone said.  "It's pretty good when you can pitch a nine-inning shutout in college with aluminum bats."

Silverman (4-3) finished with seven strikeouts against just one walk and allowed a total of six BGSU batters to reach base.

Osburn recorded his best day as a Bobcat as he finished 3-for-5 in the game with two RBIs.

Brian Hangbers (4-4) took the loss for the Falcons after allowing three runs - two earned - on five hits in just 1 2-3 innings of work.

No BGSU player recorded more than one hit in the game.

Ohio will close out its 2006 campaign with the series finale against BGSU Saturday at 1 p.m., in Bob Wren Stadium.  The Bobcats will send Anthony Gressick (4-1) to the hill on Senior Day against the Falcons' Marty Baird (2-3).