April 17, 2007
CINCINATTI - The Ohio baseball team scored 12 runs in the final three innings, including a five-run ninth inning, to erase an 11-4 deficit and earn its first road win of the season by a score of 16-14 at Cincinnati Tuesday in Marge Schott Stadium.
"We hung in there and battled the whole game," Head Coach Joe Carbone said. "It's not over until it's over. We hung in there longer than they did and we were happy to get the win. It wasn't pretty but we will take it."
Ohio (13-20) recorded its first road victory of the season after an 0-13 start in a wild game that saw the two teams combine for 30 runs on 31 hits and 13 errors. The Bobcats finished with 16 runs on 15 hits and committed five errors while Cincinnati (19-16) tallied 14 runs on 16 hits with eight errors. Ohio used five different pitchers in the contest while the Bearcats tossed six different hurlers.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Ohio and was also the team's first victory this season when trailing after eight innings. The Bobcats had been 0-13 when looking at a deficit heading into the ninth before Tuesday's victory. The 16 runs is the second most scored by the Bobcats in a single game this season. Ohio scored 19 runs in game one of a double dip against Oakland on March 18.
Five different Bobcats posted multi-hit games in the come-from-behind win, led by freshman Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Rehak finished 3-for-6 with a stolen base and four runs scored.
"Jeremie got on base for us and scored a bunch of runs," Carbone said. "He made contact and moved the ball around and played good defense. We are happy with how he has progressed."
Sophomores Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) each had big nights in the Ohio win. Besl went 2-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored while Johnston tallied four RBI and two runs scored in a 2-for-5 performance.
"We need Hayden to swing the bat so hopefully this game will get him going," Carbone said. "He played hurt, hung in there and helped us win."
Sophomore Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) went 2-for-3 and clubbed a solo home run. Freshman Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) was 2-for-4 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored and has now hit safely in 11 straight games. The streak is the second longest by a Bobcat this season behind Besl's 13-game streak. Senior Dusty Hammond (Bellefontaine, Ohio) collected a two-run single in his only plate appearance while senior J.T. Osburn (Warrenton, Va.) was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI off the bench.
Junior left-hander Matt Smith (Centre Hall, Pa.) was the beneficiary of the late runs as he tossed the final two innings for the win. Smith allowed just one hit, a solo home run to lead off the ninth, and struck out three hitters in moving to 4-4 on the season. Sophomore Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) lasted 2.2 innings in his first career start and allowed three earned runs on five hits.
Cameron Satterwhite had a monster day for the Bearcats in the loss as he crushed three home runs and tallied seven RBI and four runs scored in a 4-for-5 effort. Cincinnati hit a total of five home runs in the game, four of them with at least one men on base. Josh Harrison was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored while Brian Szarmach went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
The Bobcats roughed up Bearcat closer Billy Welsh to hand him the loss. Welsh, who entered the contest with a 2.77 ERA and four saves on the season, allowed six hits and five runs in 1.1 innings pitched. Only one of the five runs was earned.
Ohio got on the board with a run in the first inning when Rehak singled with one away and stole second. The Cincinnati catcher threw the ball away, allowing Rehak to advance to third and then score on an RBI fielder's choice by Besl. Goodpasture worked around an error and a hit in the first inning and Klimko gave Ohio a 2-0 lead with a two out, solo home run in the top of the second. The home run was the second for Klimko this season, both coming in the past five games.
Cincinnati answered back in its half of the second as Cameron Satterwhite belted a three-run home run to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead. Ohio tied the game in the third when Rehak singled and moved to third on a base hit by Krauss. Besl again drove Rehak in with an RBI groundout to even the score at three.
The Bearcats threatened in the third with a double and a walk that chased Goodpasture from the game. Sophomore Matt Schlarb (Lexington, Ohio) entered and escaped the jam, but then ran into problems in the fourth. A throwing error started the Bearcat rally and Satterwhite followed with an RBI double. Tony Campana tallied an RBI single later in the frame for a 5-3 Cincinnati lead.
Ohio pulled back to within a run in the fifth inning despite not recording a hit. Two Bearcat errors and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for a sacrifice fly from Johnston to cut Ohio's deficit to 5-4. The Bearcats responded with five runs in their half of the fifth for a 10-4 advantage. Brian Szarmach delivered a three-run home run and Satterwhite added a two-run shot, his second big fly of the evening.
Cincinnati tacked on another run in the sixth to make it 11-4 before Ohio began its comeback with a three-run seventh inning. The Bobcats loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk by Krauss, a Bearcat error and a single by senior Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio). After a Cincinnati pitching change, Johnston singled to bring in one run and keep the bases juiced. Osburn followed with a pinch hit RBI fielder's choice and junior Jason Selhorst (Ottawa, Ohio) plated another run on a sacrifice fly to make the score 11-7.
The Bearcats extended the lead in the seventh when Josh Harrison hit a two-run home run for Cincinnati's fourth multi-run homer of the contest that gave the home team a 13-7 lead. The Bobcats refused to go away as they scored four times in the eighth inning, all of them coming with two outs. Junior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to start the inning but was still standing at first with two away. Besl then doubled to send Stiffler to third and pinch hitter Jared Willis (Logan, W.Va.) reached on an error to score Stiffler. Johnston followed with an RBI double for his third run driven in on the day. After Osburn walked, Carbone opted to pinch hit for Selhorst and Hammond made the move pay off with a two-run single to cut Ohio's deficit to 13-11.
Ohio completed its bid for the come-from-behind victory with a five-run ninth inning. Rehak got things started with a one out single and advanced to second on a base hit by Krauss. Besl and Willis each followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game at 13. Johnston drove in the go-ahead run on a ground ball and reached on an error on the play. Osburn gave Ohio some insurance with an RBI single and freshman Kris McDonough (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) followed with an RBI double for a 16-13 Bobcat lead. Satterwhite led off the bottom of the ninth with his third home run of the game but Smith retired the next three Bearcats in order to make the final score 16-14 in favor of Ohio.
The Bobcats look to make it back-to-back wins Wednesday when Ohio plays host to West Virginia at Bob Wren Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. with sophomore Kurt Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio) on the hill for Ohio.
