March 24, 2009
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University baseball tallied three runs in its final two innings at bat to break open a deadlock and defeat Eastern Kentucky, 6-3, Tuesday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium. The win rounded out the 'Cats' nine-game home stand with a 6-3 mark. The Bobcats (8-10, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) are now 7-3 at home on the season and have won five of their last six contests.
Freshman reliever Michael Dillon (Bel Air, Md.) garnered his first win as a Bobcat in his first-career decision to move to 1-0, as he tossed a career-long 4.2 innings, while allowing just three hits and an unearned run to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Sophomore Macon Smith (2-1) suffered the loss for the Colonels (11-7, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference), despite hurling 3.1 innings of two-hit ball and allowing just the go-ahead run, while fanning two Bobcats.
"I thought Michael threw very well," Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said. "He came in and threw strikes, keeping them off balance. We didn't plan on him going four and two-thirds innings, but he was throwing well so we decided to see how far he could go. I thought he did a great job."
Sophomore designated hitter Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) paced Ohio at the plate with a pair of hits and RBIs each, including the go-ahead double. Sophomore left fielder Adam Gecewich (Strongsville, Ohio) recorded his second-straight three-hit game to tie his career high for hits, while also driving in a run and scoring once. Senior right fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) registered his sixth-straight multi-hit game with a pair of doubles, giving him a team-best 10 two-baggers on the year.
The Colonels put a run on the board in the first, thanks to a pair of Bobcat errors, but Ohio answered in the bottom half of the inning as junior third baseman Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) doubled off the wall in left center to bring home sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) and extend his hitting streak to a career-long 17 games. Krauss later came home on Maddox' MAC-leading fifth sac fly of the year for a 2-1 'Cat edge after the opening stanza.
EKU evened the game at two on a single by sophomore Jayson Langfels in the third inning, but Gecewich put Ohio back on top in the fourth with his RBI single up the middle that scored junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio).
In the sixth, Eastern Kentucky knotted the contest again, as the Colonels attempted a double steal and junior catcher Kris McDonough's (Pittsburgh, Pa.) throw found its way to the outfield, allowing senior Tyler Rehmel to trot home. EKU appeared to then grab the lead in the sixth as junior Anthony Ottrando scampered home on a sac fly, but was called out at third for leaving the bag too early, keeping the game tied at three.
Maddox registered his second RBI of the contest in the seventh when he ripped a double through the right side, scoring Johnston from second and putting the Bobcats ahead for good, 4-3. An inning later, Ohio added a pair of insurance runs, as sophomore shortstop Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) laid down a textbook suicide-squeeze bunt that scored Gecewich and McDonough, as the Colonels threw the ball away trying to catch Keen at first base.
"Keen's bunt on the squeeze was real good and broke the game open," Carbone said. "We didn't play good defense (today) and we didn't hit the ball great, but we got some pitching and scrapped long enough to get the win."
Junior Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) closed out the game en route to his third save of the year, as he threw 1.1 innings and allowed just a single. Butt picked off an EKU runner, his first pickoff as a Bobcat, without firing a pitch to close out the eighth and forced junior pinch hitter Joey Stevens to fly out to center in the ninth to secure the 6-3 victory.
"We brought Bryce in because the guy on first (at the time) is a base stealer and Bryce's delivery is a lot quicker to the plate and he has a better pickoff move (than Dillon)," Carbone said. "He did a good job picking the guy off. I thought that was a big play in the game."
The Bobcats return to Mid-American Conference action this weekend with a three-game set at Western Michigan. First pitch Friday, March 27 is slated for 3 p.m. ET with Saturday's (March 28) and Sunday's (March 30) games scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET start, with all three games taking place at the Broncos' Hyames Field. All three contests will be broadcast on WATH 970 AM in Athens and streamed live on OhioBobcats.com.
Notes: Both teams tallied nine hits in the game, giving Ohio its first win of the year when the hits are tied, as the 'Cats are now 1-3 in that situation ... The Bobcats are now 2-6 when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year ... Gecewich has multiple hits in his last two games, but had just one multi-hit game in his first nine contests of the year ... Eldemire (nine-game) and Yakubik (10-game) each had their hitting streaks snapped ... Ohio is now 2-3 all-time against EKU, with its other victory coming in 1996, but that teams hadn't played since 1999 ... Krauss' double moved him into sole possession of eighth place on Ohio's career list with 43 ... The Colonels were 45-for-56 on base-stealing attempts entering the game, but only stole one base in three tries in the contest ... The Bobcats' five errors were a season high.
