May 3, 2008
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team fell behind early and never managed to comeback, as Bowling Green tied a program record with eight home runs Saturday afternoon to defeat the Bobcats 18-4 in game one of the series at Bob Wren Stadium. Ohio drops to 20-25 overall and 9-10 in Mid-American Conference play and Bowling Green improves to 21-18 and moves in front of the Bobcats in the conference standings with an 8-8 mark.
Bowling Green took an early 4-0 lead, fueled by a solo-home run by Andrew Foster in the first inning and a two-run shot by Brandon McFarland in the second inning.
Ohio responded in the fourth inning, scoring three runs on three hits. Freshman Guantlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) got the scoring started with an RBI-double. Junior Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) then came around to score on a passed ball after lining a single, before senior Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) capped the inning with an RBI-single, brining the score to 4-3.
That would be as close as Ohio would get, as the Flacons came right back with five more runs in the top of the fifth inning, including a three-run home run by Dennis Vaughn to take a 9-3 lead.
Ohio senor Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and then was brought home on a double by junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio), but that was the last run the Bobcats would score. Bowling Green went on to score three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and four more in the ninth for the 18-4 win.
Ohio was out-hit 17 to 10 on the day, with Bowling Green scoring 15 runs on its eight homers. Bowling Green left just three runners on base, while Ohio stranded seven.
Stiffler went 3-for-5 with one run scored and Hartle was 2-for-4 on the day, as the only Bobcats to record multi-hit games.
Ohio junior right-hander Chris Rigo (Westlake, Ohio) got the start, and went 7.0 innings, allowing 12 hits and 12 runs, while striking out five. Rigo falls to 4-3 on the season.
Bowling Green's Frank Berry (5-1) earns the win after working 7.0 innings and giving up four runs on 10 hits with no strikeouts and two walks.
The Bobcats and Falcons will conclude their series with a doubleheader Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.
