April 23, 2008
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team dropped a 17-12 game to Conference-USA member and former MAC rival, Marshall, on Wednesday night at Bob Wren Stadium.
The 22 hits and 17 runs compiled were both season-highs for amount tallied by the Herd and amount surrendered by the Bobcats.
The Bobcats fell to 19-20 on the season with junior reliever Joe Stover (Shorewood, Ill.) taking the loss while Marshall starting pitcher Justin Moore earned the victory for the Thundering Herd, improving his team's record to 20-20-1 and improving his own record to 3-2. Arik Sukula earned his sixth save as he entered the game in the eighth with Marshall leading by just two runs.
The Bobcats scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to close the Marshall lead to two runs, 14-12, with junior Brandon Besl's (Cincinnati, Ohio) fifth home run of the season driving in a pair. But Ohio's rally would not continue in the ninth inning, as Marshall tacked on three more insurance runs and the Bobcats were held scoreless in the final half inning.
Junior left-hander Zach Fairbanks (Martins Ferry, Ohio) started the day for Ohio and went three innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out two, but left the game with a 5-3 lead.
Ohio held that lead through the fourth inning before Marshall scored three runs in three straight innings, from the top of the fifth through the top of the seventh. The Bobcats used five relievers after pulling Fairbanks, with only junior Mike Babin (Medina, Ohio) going unscathed, striking out one and walking two but recording two outs to get the `Cats out of the seventh inning.
Freshman second baseman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) led Ohio with three RBI on 2-for-5 at the plate and three other Bobcats - Besl, sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) and freshman Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) - also racked up two hits each. Freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) got on base twice via base on balls but did not record a hit, ending his hitting-streak at 13 games. Ohio senior Zach Hartle's (Toledo, Ohio) nine-game hitting streak also came to a close as he went hitless with a walk, one run scored and an RBI.
Ohio used eight pitchers in the game with Fairbanks and Stover pitching the first five innings and six relievers combining to throw the next four innings. Marshall used five pitchers with Moore last 5.1 innings.
The Bobcats return to MAC action this weekend with first place in the East Division up for grabs. The Bobcats will travel to Kent State (7-5 MAC), who currently leads Ohio (8-7 MAC) by half a game in the conference standings.
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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.
