March 8, 2009
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee completed a four-game sweep over the Ohio University baseball team Sunday afternoon, 10-2, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Bobcats (2-7) hit into three double plays, made four errors and were unable to register an extra-base hit, which greatly contributed to the loss.
The Volunteers (6-5) out-hit the 'Cats 17-9, with Ohio sophomore catcher Trace Voshell (Batavia, Ohio) tying a career high with three hits, his second-straight multi-hit game, his only multi-hit games of the year, and the fifth of his career. Senior center fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) recorded his fifth multi-hit game in his last seven contests, while junior Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) singled in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Junior starter Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) was tagged with the loss, his first decision of the year in his first start as a Bobcat, tossing four innings while allowing six runs on nine hits. The Vols' junior starter, Stephen McCray, garnered the win to move to 2-0 on the year, as he threw five innings of no-run baseball and allowed just four singles. The righty also fanned four 'Cats and retired 10-straight batters at one point between the second and fifth innings.
Junior left fielder Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led off the game with a single, his first hit of the season, but was quickly erased by a double play keeping the 'Cats scoreless in the first. Tennessee capitalized, as sophomore P.J. Polk, who finished with a game-high four hits and five RBIs, crossed home on fellow sophomore Blake Forsythe's single to take a 1-0 lead after one.
Polk then singled home a pair of runs in the second to give the Vols a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Cody Hawn padded the lead with a two-run blast in the third, his fifth home run of the series, and UT added one more for a 6-0 edge a third of the way through the game.
Tennessee plated another run in the fifth on a sac fly, but was held scoreless for the next two innings by senior reliever Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio), who tossed 3.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs, as he exited with runners on base. The Vols brought three across the plate in the eighth however, with Polk nailing a two-RBI double off senior Matt Schlarb (Lexington, Ohio), to make it 10-0.
Voshell knocked an RBI single into right field scoring sophomore Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) in the ninth to get the Bobcats on the board and senior pinch hitter Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) scored Johnston on a sacrifice fly, but Ohio still fell 10-2.
The Bobcats look to get back to their winning ways on the diamond Wednesday, March 11 when they host the Wright State Raiders. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium.
