May 7, 2008
Box Score
DAYTON, Ohio - Behind two home runs by senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio), the Ohio baseball team cruised to a 12-3 victory against Dayton Wednesday afternoon in a rain-shortened game at TWC Stadium. The game was called after five innings, but not before Ohio was able to collect 10 hits en route to its second-straight double-digit run total.
With the victory the Bobcats improve to 22-27 on the season, while Dayton drops to 28-21 in the loss.
Stiffler led off the game with a solo-shot to left center and the Bobcats never looked back. In the second inning, junior Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) scored on fielding error to give Ohio a 2-0 lead, before Stiffler struck again with a two-run bomb down the left field line, bringing the score to 4-0. Stiffler now has a team-high 13 homers on the season and has connected on two homers in a game in three contests this year.
Ohio continued to build on its lead in the top of the third inning, as freshmen Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) and Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) each drove in runs to extend the lead to 6-0. Eldemire lined a double to center field, his 10th of the season, to score freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) and Keen drove in Klimko on a fielder's choice.
While the Bobcats were scoring runs, senior right-hander John Angelicchi (Woodmere, Ohio) was keeping the Dayton hitters in check. Angelicchi, in only his second start of the season, held the Flyer batters hitless through the first three innings to allow Ohio to get out to the six-run lead.
Dayton finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs on two hits, but the Bobcats responded right back with a six-run fifth inning.
The Bobcats took advantage of a fielding error in the fifth to bring four unearned runs across the plate, including two runs on junior Brandon Besl's (Cincinnati, Ohio) eighth homer of the season, giving Ohio a 12-2 lead.
Dayton took advantage of two Ohio fielding errors in the bottom half of the inning to score one run, but that would be the final run of the game, as junior lefty Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) got the Bobcats out of the inning before the heavy rain began to fall.
Stiffler finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored. Besl went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored and Klimko finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Angelicchi (1-2) earns the victory after working 4.0 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits and striking out two.
This weekend the Bobcats play host to rival Miami at Bob Wren Stadium. First pitch of that series is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday. Friday's game is "Camp-Out with the `Cats" where kids 8-14 are invited to camp out on the field after the game.
