April 2, 2008
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team blew a six-run lead in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday evening, but recovered in its final at bat, as junior Chris Klimko's sacrifice fly scored the winning run for the Bobcats in a 9-8 victory at Bob Wren Stadium. Ohio improves to 13-11 and has now won nine of its last 12 games, while Cleveland State drops to 7-10.
Ohio held a commanding 8-2 advantage heading into the top half of the ninth inning and was one out away from ending the game, when the Vikings rallied to score six runs and tie the game at 8-8. A two-RBI triple by Tom Carter got the rally started for Cleveland State and then a three-run home run by Kyle Bischof capped the six-run comeback.
The Bobcats responded in the bottom of the inning, as Klimko batted in the winning run for the Bobcats for the second time in three games. Sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) led off the inning with a single and then moved to second base on a wild pitch. Freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) advanced Krauss to third base on a sacrifice fly, brining Klimko to the plate. Klimko hit the ball to right field, allowing Krauss to tag up from third and slide safely into home just before the tag for the dramatic one-run victory.
Krauss had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with one home run, one triple, two walks, three runs scored and two RBI. Krauss hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead, one they would build on until the ninth inning.
Senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, tying former Bobcat Bryant Witt's 19-game hitting streak during the 2006 season. Maddox III had another nice game at the plate as the designated hitter, going 2-for-3, with his eighth double of the season, and two runs scored.
Ohio junior left-hander Zach Fairbanks (Martins Ferry, Ohio) pitched seven solid innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and striking out four. After giving up a run in the first inning, Fairbanks retired 12 straight Viking batters and by the time Fairbanks left the hill in the seventh inning the Bobcats were ahead 8-2.
Right hander Kurt Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio) allowed just one hit in relief of Fairbanks in the eighth inning and then recorded two outs in the top of the ninth inning. After giving up three runs, however, junior left-hander Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) came on in relief of Smith with two runners on base. The first batter that Goodpasture faced, Bischof, then hit a three-run shot over the right field wall to tie the game. Goodpasture recovered, forcing the next batter to ground out to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the season.
Freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and sophomore Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio) finished with two RBI, both on sacrifice flies.
The Bobcats take to the road this weekend for a three-game series with Mid-American Conference foe Toledo (April 4-6).
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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.
