March 2, 2008
Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Ohio baseball team fell behind early and then had its comeback attempt fall short in a 9-4 loss to host Memphis Sunday afternoon in the rubber game at Nat Buring Stadium. Both teams are now .500 on the season, as the Bobcats fall to 3-3 and the Tigers improve to 4-4.
Memphis scored an unearned run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 advantage and never relinquished the lead despite a late rally attempt by the Bobcats. The Tigers brought two more runs across the plate in the third, one in the fourth and then a three-run shot by Trey Weidman in the fifth gave Memphis a commanding 7-0 lead.
Ohio seniors Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) and Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) continued their solid play at the plate in the loss. Stiffler was 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and one RBI on the day. Hartle went just 1-for-4, but hit his first home run of the season, to push his hitting streak to 10 games dating back to last season.
Ohio's bats started to show some life in the top of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on three hits to bring the score to 7-2. Stiffler led off the inning with a double, followed by a single by sophomore Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and then sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) scored Stiffler from second on a fielder's choice and throwing error by the shortstop. Two batters later, freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) singled to left field to bring Rehak around to score.
The offense continued for Ohio in the seventh inning, as Hartle and Stiffler slammed back-to-back solo home runs with two outs to bring the score to 7-4, putting the Bobcats back into the game. Stiffler's shot was his second four-bagger of the season.
Ohio had a chance to draw even closer in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and only one out, but ended up leaving all three runners stranded and Memphis survived the late rally to hold on for the series win.
Ohio freshman right-hander Jason Moulton (Toledo, Ohio) takes the loss after going 4.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and striking out six in his first collegiate start. Moulton is now 0-1 on the season.
Memphis' Philip Utley went 6.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits and striking out two, to improve to 1-0 this year.
Senior left-hander Matt Smith (Centre Hall, Pa.) pitched 3.1 innings in relief for Moulton, allowing two hits and two runs and striking out one.
Next up for the Bobcats are two mid-week games against Ohio Wesleyan and Rio Grande at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. The games were originally scheduled to be the home opener at Bob Wren Stadium, but have been moved to V.A. Memorial due to the possibility of bad weather conditions making the field surface at Bob Wren unplayable. The Bobcats face Ohio Wesleyan Tuesday, March 4 at 4 p.m. and then take the field against Rio Grande Wednesday, March 5 at 4 p.m.
----------------------------
Wes Liles is the baseball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.
