March 11, 2009
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University baseball team plated 14 runs over a three-inning stretch to erase a seven-run deficit and tallied a season high in runs to defeat Wright State, 15-10, Wednesday evening at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats (3-7) recorded a season-high 17 hits and blasted a season-best five home runs en route to moving to 2-0 at home this year.
The Raiders (3-10) led 8-1 through four and a half innings, but Ohio scored four in the fifth, four in the sixth and tied a single-inning season best with six runs in the seventh to take control of the contest. Wright State earned all of its runs over the first six innings, before junior Rex Ingham (Colorado Springs, Colo.) entered in relief in the seventh and held WSU scoreless in 3.0 innings of work, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts to pick up his first win as a Bobcat and move to 1-0.
"Rex was the biggest part of the game today," Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said. "The wind was blowing out, so it was a hitter's day, but Ingham came in and did a great job. He was the performer of the day."
Junior Jordan Wolfe (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering all six runs in the seventh, his only inning on the hill, on four hits.
Junior Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) led the Bobcat charge with a pair of two-run home runs, while going 3-for-3 at the plate with a game-high tying four RBIs and a game-best three runs. He now has four round-trippers in his last four games, with five on the year, and extended his hitting streak to nine games.
"Marc's an outstanding athlete, baseball player and young man," Carbone said. "He performs and he's coachable and plays every position out there, but most importantly he's a real team player and a team leader. When he comes to bat, his teammates feel he's going to get on base or get a hit. He certainly leads by example."
Senior right fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) also collected three hits, including his second-career triple, as he came a double short of the cycle, and added three RBIs and a pair of runs. Junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio) was the third Bobcat with a trio of hits, as he was a triple shy of the cycle and launched his first-career four-bagger over the right-center field wall.
Junior catcher Kris McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had a career day at the dish for Ohio, going 2-for-4, including his first-collegiate homer, while stretching his hitting streak to five games. He also contributed a career-high three RBIs, his first-ever multi-RBI game. Freshman left fielder Ryan Pavlik (Hudson, Ohio) corralled his first hits as a Bobcat in the game, going 2-for-4, including a double, for his first-career multi-hit game. He also crossed home twice for his first-collegiate runs scored.
The Raiders struck first as junior Casey McGrew hit a two-out, two-run blast over the center field wall for an early 2-0 edge in the top of the first inning. Wright State tacked on another run in the second as freshman Ryan Ashe scored from second base on a sac fly to deep center.
Ohio pushed a run across the plate in the third on senior third baseman Brandon Besl's (Cincinnati, Ohio) RBI double that scored sophomore second baseman Tyler Chadwell (Amesville, Ohio), his first run of the year, to make it a 3-1 game. WSU responded with three tallies in the next half inning however, as senior Kory Twede, who tied a game high with four RBIs and three hits, drilled a three-run bomb to left center making the count 6-1.
After two Raider runs in the fifth, a pair of two-run round-trippers pulled the Bobcats within three at 8-5. Krauss went yard to bring home Pavlik, his first-collegiate run, while Yakubik clocked his first home run as a Bobcat five batters later.
The sixth inning mirrored the fifth, as WSU plated two, before Ohio again belted two two-run four-baggers, as Krauss hit his second two-run longball of the game and Johnston crushed his third bomb of the year three batters later, which pushed sophomore Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) home for the second time in two innings and brought the 'Cats within one at 10-9.
Ohio then grabbed its first lead of the game in the seventh as Besl's second RBI double of the game scored Pavlik to even the count. Maddox III then brought Krauss home on a sac fly and Johnston's triple scored Besl to make it 12-10 in favor of the home team. McDonough finally put the finishing touches on the Green & White's breakout inning and secured the game with his three-run shot to center field giving Ohio a 15-10 advantage they would not relinquish.
"We hung in there long enough and battled back. You can't quit," Carbone said. "Sometimes you score a lot of runs early and sometimes you score late, but if you let your frustrations get to you that won't happen and we didn't do that."
The Bobcats continue their home stand this weekend with a four-game set against the Duquesne Dukes of the Atlantic 10. First pitch Friday, March 13 is slated for 4 p.m., with the doubleheader on Saturday, March 14 starting at 1 p.m. and the series finale Sunday, March 15 also beginning at 1 p.m.
Notes: Johnston has recorded multiple hits in six of his last eight games ... Johnston's triple was Ohio's first of the season and his first since his only other triple, which he hit as a freshman ... Krauss walked twice in the game, which gives him 90 for his career and moved him into a tie for 10th place on Ohio's career free passes ledger with Mike Echstenkamper ... Besl hit two doubles in the game, which moved him into sole possession of fifth place on Ohio's career doubles list with 46 ... Besl needs seven more doubles to tie a trio of Bobcat greats for second all time, including current assistant coach Scott Malinowski ... After not recording a strikeout in his first two starts, freshman starter Brent Choban (Barberton, Ohio) fanned three Raiders in a no decision.
