April 13, 2008
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team used seven runs on six hits in the first inning to chase Eastern Michigan starter Kevin Sikora after he earned just one out and the Bobcats held on to win 14-8 on Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium in the final game of the three-game MAC series.
Ohio improved to 16-16 overall, 8-4 in MAC play, while Eastern Michigan fell to 10-22, 7-2 in conference games. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bobcats and a three-game winning streak for the Eagles.
Right-hander Kevin Mementowski (Parma, Ohio) earned the win after working 5.2 innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on six hits. Mementowski improves to 1-3 on the season while Sikora takes the loss to move to 0-3.
Sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) started the scoring in the first inning for the Bobcats when he hit a sacrifice fly that scored senior centerfielder Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio). Two batters later, freshman Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) singled home junior Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) who had advanced to third on a double from junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio). Besl, who moved to third on Eldemire's single, then scored on a passed ball. With the score at 3-0, junior Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) doubled down the left field line to plate Eldemire and the next batter, freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio), pushing Klimko to third base. With four runs already scored in the first inning, the No. 8 hitter, freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek. Ohio) connected on a three-run home run with Klimko and Maddox on base.
That bomb to right field, Keen's first of his collegiate career, chased Sikora, who had recorded just one out before being pulled for Jake Stapf.
Eastern Michigan attempted a comeback, like they had done in the previous two games of the series, bringing the score to 10-8 after the top of the sixth inning, but the Bobcats tagged on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth and an additional run in the bottom of the seventh.
Maddox III hit his second home run in as many games when he connected on a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning. The freshman now has six on the season, one behind Stiffler for the team lead.
Krauss pushed his hitting streak to 15 games when he connected on a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth off EMU's Stapf. The 6-foot-2, 235 pound Krauss also tallied his third stolen base of the season.
Stiffler's school-record hitting streak ended at 26 games after the senior centerfielder failed to record a hit on Sunday. He did reach base twice and tallied two runs after walking to leadoff the bottom of the first inning and being hit by a pitch later in the contest.
In the three-game series against Eastern Michigan, the Bobcats scored 39 runs on 46 hits with 11 errors.
The game did not start until 2:08 p.m. after a 1-hour, 8-minute rain delay. The game was also stalled for a brief 10 minute rain delay early in the contest when the light drizzle turned into a heavy downpour.
Ohio will play host to Pittsburgh at Bob Wren Stadium on Tuesday, April 15. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
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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.
