March 16, 2008
Box Score
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team won both games of a doubleheader against Purdue Sunday, as freshman Jason Moulton (Toledo, Ohio) and senior Matt Smith (Centre Hall, Pa.) each threw complete-game shutouts to give Ohio a pair of 3-0 victories at V.A. Memorial Stadium. Ohio improves to 6-8 with the wins, while Purdue drops to 2-11.
Moulton (1-1) had a no-hitter going through the first 6.2 innings and gave up just three hits in his nine innings on the mound. The right-hander finished the game with five strikeouts and no walks.
In the second game, Smith (1-1) looked equally as impressive, keeping the Purdue batters guessing throughout. The left hander allowed just six hits and one walk while striking out five in his complete-game shutout.
"Both Moulton and Smith pitched excellent baseball games today," said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. "I think Moulton totally dominated out there. When he had to reach back for something extra, he did. Smith threw strikes all day and the defense played very well, especially (Zach) Hartle at shortstop."
Sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) led Ohio at the plate in the first game, going 3-for-3 with a double and a walk and batting in all three runs for the Bobcats. Senior Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with a run scored and junior Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) finished 2-for-3 with a double.
Krauss brought two runs across the plate in the bottom of the third inning, with a double down the left field line, giving Ohio a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning Ohio added an insurance run off of Krauss' single through the right side, scoring senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) for the final score of 3-0.
In the second game, Ohio got out to a 3-0 lead after three innings, a lead that proved to be more than enough for Smith.
Freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) took advantage of an error on an infield pop-up to move to second base in the bottom of the second inning. Purdue miscues led to more bases for Maddox, as two wild pitches allowed the freshman to come across the plate to give Ohio a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Stiffler lined a triple to right center, extending his hitting streak to nine games, before being brought around on an infield single by Hartle. Two batters later, Maddox doubled to left field, scoring Hartle and giving the Bobcats a 3-0 lead.
Hartle went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Klimko was 3-for-3 in game two.
Moulton and Smith's complete game shutouts were the first two of the season for Ohio.
On the day, the Bobcats out-hit Purdue 19 to 9, after being out-hit by the Boilermakers 22 to 12 in a pair of losses in Saturday's doubleheader.
"We didn't play that badly yesterday," explained Carbone. "I thought we played hard both days, yesterday we hit the ball hard, but right at people. Then today I think we really played great baseball. If you're able to have good pitching and play good defense you'll win."
Ohio kicks off Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series against Central Michigan next weekend (Saturday, March 22 - Monday, March 24).
----------------------------
Wes Liles is the baseball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.
