Feb. 20, 2009
Box Score
DAVIDSON, N.C. - The Ohio University baseball team fell to the Davidson Wildcats in a back-and-forth contest, 8-6, Friday evening at Wilson Field in the season opener for both teams. The Bobcats (0-1) rallied from a two-run deficit in the top of the seventh inning to even the count, but Davidson (1-0) hit a two-run blast in the bottom half of the inning to spoil Ohio's 117th opening day.
Sophomore Matt Sliwiak earned the win, pitching an inning of no-hit baseball and striking out two, while senior Kevin Mementowski (Parma, Ohio) suffered the loss, tossing 2.1 innings, while allowing three earned runs and striking out three batters. Bobcat senior starter Chris Rigo (Westlake, Ohio) went 5.0 innings in his 23rd-career start, conceding five runs, three earned, while fanning four in a no decision. Senior reliever Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) took the mound in the eighth inning for the Green & White, pitching 0.2 innings of perfect ball, and in doing so moved into a tie with Jim Bierman for sixth place on Ohio's career pitching appearances list with 59.
Sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) led the offensive charge for Ohio, going 3-for-4 at the dish, his 12th-career multi-hit game, coming a triple shy of the cycle, while also collecting two RBIs, the 10th time in his young career he's had a multi-RBI game, and a pair of runs. Senior third baseman Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) drilled a pair of doubles, moving him into a tie for fifth place on Ohio's career doubles list with 44, while also scoring twice, and junior left fielder Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added a pair of RBIs for the Bobcats, as well.
Senior left fielder Pat Brady paced the Wildcats, who had seven hits in the game, with a 2-for-4 day, including a solo home run, while also crossing the plate twice.
The Bobcats jumped on the board early, as Eldemire ripped a leadoff double down the third-base line in the first at-bat of the season for the Bobcats. Johnston then followed that up by driving in Eldemire on a double down the right-field line, giving Ohio a 1-0 edge after one inning.
evened the score on Brady's blast in the bottom of the second and plated one more in the inning, but Rigo worked his way out of a two-on, no-out jam to keep the deficit at one. The 'Cats wasted no time knotting the game in the top of the third, as Eldemire registered his second hit of the game, crushing the second pitch of the inning over the right-field wall for his eighth-career round-tripper.
With the Wildcats leading 5-2 in the top of the sixth, Rehak drove in Besl from third base on a fielder's choice, then walked home four batters later to bring Ohio within one, however the Bobcats left the bases loaded with a chance to even the score.
After another Davidson run in the bottom of the sixth, Ohio filled the bases with no outs. Rehak then earned a free pass to score junior first baseman Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio), forcing the Wildcats' third pitching change of the day. Sophomore catcher Trace Voshell (Batavia, Ohio) also garnered a walk after the swap on the mound to tie the score as Besl crossed the plate, but again Ohio left the bags full.
A two-run home run by the Wildcats' James Cerbie, his lone hit of the game, broke the deadlock in the next half inning and proved to be the decisive runs, as Davidson senior Zach Kayne locked up the final two outs of the game to garner the save and secure the Wildcats' 8-6 victory.
The Bobcats continue their opening weekend of play Saturday, Feb. 21, with two more games in Davidson, N.C. Ohio faces Army at 9 a.m. and Lafayette at 12 p.m. in what will be the first-ever meetings with either school.
