May 21, 2008
Box Score
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team lost its opening game of the 2008 Mid-American Tournament Wednesday morning after a late rally came up just short in a 5-4 loss to Bowling Green at VA Memorial Stadium. Ohio (27-29) will now move on to the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament where it will play the loser of the Eastern Michigan/Western Michigan game at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Bowling Green (32-18) starter Frank Berry didn't strike out a single Bobcat, but held Ohio to just six hits and one run in 7.1 innings of work. Berry (7-1) left the game with a 5-1 lead, but the Bobcats staged a rally in the final two innings to nearly pull off the comeback.
Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bobcats loaded the bases with one out after freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) singled, senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) walked and sophomore Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) singled. Sophomore Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) then grounded out to second base, allowing Keen to come across the plate to cut the deficit to 5-2. The next batter, junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio), drew a walk to keep the inning alive and load the bases for freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio). Maddox III then put together a good at-bat, stretching the count to full, before going down swinging to end the inning.
The rally continued in the bottom of the ninth inning. Junior Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) led off the inning with an infield single and then freshman Guantlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) blasted a home run over the left center field wall to bring the score to 5-4. That would be the end of the rally, however, as Bowling Green's Kevin Leady retired the next two Bobcat batters to earn his third save of the season.
Klimko was the only Bobcat to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 on the day. Eldemire went 1-for-4 with two RBI and his seventh home run of the season. Krauss went 0-for-3, but tallied two RBI and one walk. Stiffler went 1-for-4 with a double and one run scored to move just five hits away from establishing a new Ohio season record.
Junior left-hander Zach Elmer (Delaware, Ohio) got the start for the Bobcats, working 5.0 innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out two. Elmer takes the loss to fall to 4-4 on the season.
Bowling Green jumped on the scoreboard first with a sacrifice fly by Brian Hangbers that scored Ryan Shay in the bottom of the first inning, giving Bowling Green a 1-0 advantage. Shay led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Bowling Green added another run in the second inning on an RBI by Marty Baird to take a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning BGSU loaded the bases with no outs, but the Bobcats managed to hold Bowling Green to just one run, which brought the score to 3-0.
Stiffler got the Bobcats' offense going in the top of the fourth inning, leading off the inning with a double to left center. Stiffler was advanced to third by Rehak and then brought across the plate by Krauss, bringing the score to 3-1.
Ohio had runners on second and first with just one away in the top of the fifth inning, but Berry forced Keen to ground into a double play, ending the threat.
Elmer got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning with a strikeout of Mark Galvin to end the threat and maintain the 3-1 score.
Senior lefty Matt Smith came in for relief of Elmer in the sixth inning with runners on second and first. Smith forced the first batter that he faced to ground into a double play for the first two outs of the inning. Smith couldn't get out of the jam completely, however, as Shay drove in a run to bring the score to 4-1. Smith then struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Derek Spencer added the fifth run of the game for the Falcons in the bottom of the seventh with a solo-homer over the right field wall, lifting the lead to 5-1.
Ohio's game against the loser of the Western Michigan/Eastern Michigan game on Thursday at 9 a.m. will be aired on WATH 970 radio in Athens.
