March 14, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University baseball team salvaged a split of Saturday's twin bill with Duquesne at Bob Wren Stadium. After dropping game one 7-4, the Bobcats rallied to earn their first win of the series with the Dukes, 15-10, in the night cap. Ohio's (4-9) victory snapped a four-game skid to Duquesne (2-13) and was its second-straight win by a score of 15-10, as the 'Cats knocked off Wright State by the same count March 11.
Ohio out-hit Duquesne in both games, 12-9 and 16-15, respectively, but left 12 runners on base in the first-game loss and stranded 13 in the game-two win.
In the Bobcats' triumph, freshman reliever Mike Sweigert (Mentor, Ohio) picked up his first win as a Bobcat in his first decision of the year, tossing 3.0 innings of relief, while allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Senior Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) closed out the victory for the Green & White pitching the final inning, while allowing no runs and striking out two Dukes. The appearance was the 63rd of Goodpasture's career, which moved him into a tie for fourth place on Ohio's all-time pitching appearances list with Cory Corrigan and Kris Franko.
Freshman reliever Brad Duffy (0-1) took the loss for Duquesne, as he went just 0.2 innings and allowed five runs on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Starter Grant Gillespie tossed five innings of six-run ball on 11 hits in a no decision.
Senior right fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) registered his team-leading fourth three-hit game of the year and had a game-high four RBIs, while junior Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) had a pair of hits for his fourth-straight multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He also drove in two runs, scored twice and walked twice, giving him 95 career free passes, which moved him into a tie for sixth all-time at Ohio. Freshman left fielder Ryan Pavlik (Hudson, Ohio) doubled twice for his second-straight multi-hit game after going hitless in his first six games as a Bobcat.
"Pavlik's settling in a bit, seeing more pitches and getting some playing time," Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said. "His swing is flat, which we like. Some guys aren't swinging it real well right now, so we decided to give him a chance to see what he'd do and he's done a good job for us."
Sophomore catcher Trace Voshell (Batavia, Ohio) registered a pair of hits for his fourth-straight multi-hit game to go along with a pair of RBIs, while sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) has at least two hits in all three games this weekend against Duquesne and tallied three RBIs on Saturday. Senior Brian Bernardo paced the Dukes with three hits and a pair of RBIs and runs each in the second game.
The Bobcats struck quickly in game two, racking up three runs to open the game. After Ohio's first two batters were retired, the 'Cats collected four singles and a walk, as senior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) trotted home on a Johnston single, sophomore Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) scored on one of junior Jerod Yakubik's (Byesville, Ohio) two RBIs in the game, which stretched his hitting streak to six games, and Johnston then crossed the plate on Voshell's dribbler to third base.
Krauss extended his hitting streak and extended Ohio's lead to 4-0 on an RBI single in the second that scored Pavlik. The Dukes cut the lead in half on senior second baseman Bill Torre's two-run shot to left in the third, however.
Bobcat stating pitcher Zach Fairbanks (Martins Ferry, Ohio), who pitched four innings and allowed five runs (two earned), while striking out four, walked in a run in the fourth, but worked his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to keep the 'Cats on top, 4-3. Johnston padded Ohio's cushion with a two-out two-RBI double down the left field line that scored Eldemire and Besl to make it a 6-3 contest.
Five unearned runs in the fifth put the Dukes on top for the first time, 8-6, but the Bobcats tallied six runs in the sixth to recapture the lead. Voshell doubled to score Maddox III for the second of his three runs, while three-straight walks plated three Bobcats and Maddox III capped the inning with a two-RBI single.
A pair of Duquesne solo four-baggers, including one from junior Mark Tracy, who collected three hits in the game, sliced Ohio's lead in half at 12-10 in the eighth inning, but Ohio added three insurance runs off senior reliever Danny Brown to secure the 15-10 win.
"We hung in there (in game two) and scored more runs than they did, which is what counts. We got the win," Carbone said. "We still have a lot of work to do though and we're playing guys at different positions due to injuries, which has hurt us defensively, but we've got to hang in there and do the best we can."
Senior Zach Elmer (Delaware, Ohio) (0-3) suffered the loss in game one, allowing four runs in a season-long five innings of work, but walked seven Dukes and also struck out five. Senior Ryan Juran (1-3) garnered the win, working five innings and conceding just three runs on seven hits. Sophomore reliever Andrew Heck picked up his first save of the year tossing the final four innings, while allowing just a single run on five hits.
The Dukes plated the first run of the game in the top of the third, as Tracy belted an RBI double to right center. Ohio responded with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth as Eldemire and Krauss each went yard, Eldemire's of the two-run variety, giving the 'Cats a 3-1 lead.
Duquesne regained a 4-3 advantage in the top of the sixth, and tacked on three more in the seventh, including a two-run blast by Tracy, the first of his two round-trippers on the day.
Krauss led off the ninth with his seventh bomb of the year for his fourth-career multi-homer game and his sixth long-ball in his last six games to make it a 7-4 game. Junior catcher Kris McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa.) then came to the plate representing the tying run with two on and two out, but Heck forced McDonough into a fielder's choice to secure the Dukes' second win of the series, after taking Friday's series opener, 11-9.
Ohio and Duquesne will wrap up their four-game set with the series finale Sunday, March 15. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium. Live stats will be available for Sunday's finale on OhioBobcats.com.
