March 23, 2008
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Ohio freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) hit a two-out RBI-single to left field in the top of the eighth inning to score the winning run of the game, in a 5-4 victory against Central Michigan Sunday afternoon at Theunissen Stadium. Ohio improves to 8-8 on the season and 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play, and hands Central Michigan its first home-series loss in conference play since the 2004 season. Central Michigan drops to 5-13 overall and 0-2 in MAC action.
Ohio has now won four straight games and its 2-0 conference start is its best since the 1997 season when the Bobcats were 4-0 to begin the MAC season.
With the score tied 4-4, freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth inning. Maddox then stole second base to move into scoring position. Sophomore Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio) then moved Maddox III to third base, setting the table for Keen's game-winning hit to left field.
Central Michigan loaded the bases with one out in both the eighth and ninth inning, but both times the Bobcats were able to escape unscathed. With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, senior right-hander John Angelicchi (Woodmere, Ohio) retired the next two batters to get out of the jam and maintain the one-run lead.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Bobcats used two sensational defensive plays to get out of a jam. With a runner on first base, Central Michigan's Sean Hoorelbeke hit a long fly ball to left field, where sophomore Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made a leaping catch at the wall to save what would have been an extra-base hit and could have possibly tied the game. The Chippewas proceeded to load the bases with just one out, when Keen once again stepped up. Just one hit away from winning the game, Jeff Nowaczyk hit a liner up the middle that Keen snagged out of the air and then dove headfirst into second base to beat the runner back, turning the unassisted double play to give Ohio the win.
"We made some mistakes today, but we competed and played hard," said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. "We feel fortunate to have won this game."
Angelicchi earns his second save in as many days and his third of the season after going 1.2 innings on the mound and allowing no earned runs.
Senior left-hander Matt Smith (Centre Hall, Pa.) gets the win after working 2.0 innings in relief, giving up just one hit and no runs and striking out one. Smith is now 2-1 on the season.
Keen finished the day 2-for-3 with one RBI and Maddox went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) extended his hit streak to 11 games with a 1-for-3 two-RBI performance at the dish. Senior Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) and sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) each went 2-for-5 with one RBI for the Bobcats. Yakubik was 2-for-4 with one run scored for Ohio.
Ohio jumped on the scoreboard first with a four-run fifth inning. Maddox III led off the inning with a double, before being brought around to score on a single by Yakubik, giving Ohio a 1-0 advantage. Then with two outs, the Bobcats strung together four-straight base hits, including a two-RBI double by Stiffler giving Ohio a 4-0 lead.
Central Michigan responded in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring three runs to trim the margin to 4-3, before knotting the score, 4-4, in the sixth inning.
The Bobcats and Chippewas conclude their series Monday at 3 p.m. at Theunissen Stadium. Brian Boesch will have the call on 970 AM WATH radio in Athens.
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Wes Liles is the baseball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.
