March 29, 2008
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team won both games of a doubleheader with Western Michigan Saturday afternoon to post its best start in conference play since the 1999 season. Ohio won the first game, 2-1, and then took the second game, 13-2, to improve to 11-10 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference, its best start in nine seasons. Western Michigan's record falls to 12-6-1 overall and 0-2 in MAC play.
The opening game turned into a pitchers duel between Ohio's Chris Rigo (Westlake, Ohio) and Western Michigan's Ethan Hollingsworth. Rigo came out on top, throwing his first complete game of the season in the 2-1 victory. The junior right-hander struck out nine and allowed no earned runs on six scattered hits to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Western Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, after a throwing error by senior Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) on a relay to third allowed Zach Gentile to score. It would be the only run of the ballgame for the Broncos.
Ohio answered in the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the game at 1-1. Sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) doubled to left field with one out, and then two batters later junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) lined a double down the left field line, scoring Krauss.
The Bobcats broke the 1-1 tie and scored the deciding run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Krauss singled to left field and then advanced all the way around to third base on a throwing error. Another Bronco mistake allowed the winning run to cross the plate, as a passed ball brought Krauss home for a 2-1 lead.
Rigo allowed just one hit through the first five innings, but Western Michigan finally got to him in the top of the eighth inning, with back-to-back one-out singles. Rigo recovered, striking out the next batter and forcing the following batter to ground out, ending the inning.
The Broncos threatened in the top of the ninth, placing runners on the corners with two outs. Rigo got out of the jam again, striking out the next batter to earn the complete-game victory.
Hollingsworth was impressive on the mound for the Broncos, going seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits, while striking out five. Hollingsworth falls to 2-2 on the year.
Krauss finished game one 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) went 1-for-4 with a double and Besl finished 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Ohio 13, Western Michigan 2
Ohio cruised in the second game, scoring 13 runs on 13 hits to notch a 13-2 victory.
The Bobcats scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead and never looked back. The `Cats brought three more runs across the plate in the fifth inning and then freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) capped a four-run sixth inning with a three-run shot over the right field wall, giving Ohio a 10-0 lead. The home run was Maddox's team-leading fourth of the season.
Maddox went 1-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Krauss continued his stellar day in game two, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and two RBI. Stiffler went 1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
Junior catcher Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) collected a team-season high five RBI, going 2-for-4 with a double. Hartle scored four runs for the Bobcats, finishing 1-for-4 at the plate with two walks.
Ohio left-hander Zach Elmer (Delaware, Ohio) earned his second victory of the season, after throwing 7.0 innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and striking out four. Elmer is 2-1 on the season with a team-leading 2.20 ERA.
The Broncos finally dented the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning, scoring two runs, but the rally would end there as the Bobcats went on to win their 11th game of the season.
Ohio junior right-hander Kurt Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio) was solid in relief of Elmer, allowing just three hits in no runs and striking out one, in 2.0 innings on the hill
Ohio added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for the final score of 13-2.
The Bobcats and Broncos conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Pitch-by-pitch action can be heard in Athens on 970 WATH.
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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.
