April 20, 2008
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - For the second straight game the Ohio baseball team was unable to manufacture runs when it needed to, as the Bobcats fell 10-3 to Akron Sunday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field, giving the Zips the series sweep and knocking Ohio out of the top spot in the Mid-American Conference East Division standings. Ohio is now 17-18 on the season and 8-7 in the MAC, half a game behind Kent State in the divisional standings. Akron improves to 18-14 overall and 4-5 in conference play.
"We have to tip our hats to Akron," said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. "It's one of the best teams I've seen at Akron in a long time and they were just better than us this weekend."
The teams were nearly even at the plate, as Ohio collected 10 hits to Akron's 11. Eight Bobcats recorded a hit in the game, led by senior Zach Hartle's (Toledo, Ohio) 3-for-4 performance, but Akron put its hits together at the right times, leading to the comfortable victory.
Ohio held the Zips to just two hits through the first four innings, but Akron took advantage of a walk and a Bobcat error to take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Doug McNulty led off the inning with a solo home run, and then after a walk and an Ohio throwing error, Brandon White blasted a three-run shot to straight away center field.
Junior left-hander Zach Fairbanks (Martins Ferry, Ohio) got the start for Ohio, lasting 2.0 innings on the mound, giving up four runs, three earned, on just two hits. Fairbanks (1-2) struck out two in the losing effort.
Junior righty Kevin Mementowski (Parma, Ohio) came on in relief of Fairbanks in the third inning and threw a solid 3.1 innings to keep Ohio in the game. Mementowski gave up just one run on three hits and struck out one in his time on the hill.
The Bobcats crossed the plate for the first time in the top of the fifth inning. Ohio freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) doubled to lead off the inning, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, and then consecutive singles from Hartle and freshman Adam Gecewich (Strongsville, Ohio) brought Maddox III home. Freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) notched another run for the Bobcats on an RBI-double down the right field line, bringing the score to 4-2.
After Akron scored another run in the bottom half of the fifth, junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) responded for the Bobcats in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI-double scoring sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio). That was as close as Ohio would get, as the Zips went on to score three runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth inning for the final score of 10-3.
Akron left-handed freshman Drew Turocy (4-2) earned the victory, after working 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out three. Garrett Knoll earned his fifth save of the season for the Zips, striking out six in 4.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits.
Ohio has now lost five of its last six conference games after starting MAC play 7-2. The loss also marks the first time this season the Bobcats have been swept.
"We didn't do things real well this weekend," said Carbone. "We still have a good ball club. We just have to start doing the fundamental things that are going to allow us to win."
Ohio will next play Cincinnati at Bob Wren Stadium on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch is scheduled 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.
