April 11, 2009

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. - Ohio University head coach Joe Carbone became the second Mid-American Conference coach to ever win 600 career games, as the Bobcats scored the go-ahead run in the eighth to earn a 6-4 victory over Eastern Michigan Saturday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium. Carbone is now in elite company with only former Western Michigan coach Fred Decker, who's first with 791 wins. In his 21st season coaching his alma mater, Carbone has compiled a career record of 600-510-2 for a .541 winning percentage and is also second all-time in MAC wins with 318, trailing only Decker's 401.

“I’ve had a bunch of outstanding student athletes and assistant coaches, especially (former associate head coach) Bill Toadvine, who have helped get (the wins),” Carbone said. “I appreciate everything all the coaches, graduate assistants and student-athletes who ever played or coached here at Ohio University have done for this program.”

With the come-from-behind victory, Ohio (15-14, 8-3 MAC) evened the weekend series with the Eagles (8-24, 3-8 MAC) and picked up its first win of the year when trailing after seven innings. The 'Cats are now 10-1 this year when holding their opponent to five runs or less.

Senior catcher Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.), who went 2-for-5 on the day, put Ohio on top for good in the eighth inning with a two-RBI double, giving him his second multi-RBI game in three contests.

“Klimko had a big double. It was a big hit with two strikes,” Carbone said. “He battled and we had been struggling all game. We just couldn’t get anything going offensively. Eastern Michigan’s pitchers pitched very well, but Klimko got us the double in the gap to put us ahead.”

Ohio was out-hit 10-8, but senior second baseman Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) managed a 3-for-5 day at the plate for his team-best eighth three-hit game of the year. He hit his league-leading 15th double of the season in the third stanza and has 15 multi-hit games in 2009, tying for team-high honors.

Sophomore designated hitter Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) drove in a pair of scores for his eighth multi-RBI game of the year, which ties for second on the squad, while junior Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) touched home twice in the game, vaulting him into 10th on Ohio's all-time runs scored ledger with 137, passing current assistant coach Scott Malinowski.

Junior reliever Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) earned his first win as a Bobcat (to go along with his five saves this season) and moved to 1-5 on the season. He tossed the final two and two-thirds innings, giving up just a run on two hits, while fanning four Eagles. Junior starter Rex Ingham (Colorado Springs, Colo.) received a no decision, while throwing six innings of three-run ball with four strikeouts, which ties his Bobcat career high. Sophomore Tim Combs suffered the loss for EMU, falling to 0-5 while conceding three runs on three hits in four innings of work.

“Ingham, (Adam) Goodpasture and Butt pitched very well to keep us in the game,” Carbone said. “We hung in there, played good defense the whole game and finally broke it open at the end a little bit.“

For the second-straight day, the Bobcats put a run on the board first, as Krauss was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Maddox in the first frame. The Eagles erased Ohio's lead quickly however, plating two runs in the bottom half of the first on an RBI double by redshirt junior Jim Gulliver, who then scored on senior Aaron Powell's single.

EMU loaded the bases with one out in the second and looked to extend its lead, but Ingham worked out of the jam forcing a shallow pop fly to left and fanning redshirt junior Andrew Marshall to keep it a one-run contest. Ohio evened the score in the fifth when sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) walked, advanced to second when Krauss walked and came home after stealing third and a throwing error by Eastern Michigan's catcher.

The Eagles manufactured a run in the seventh to break the deadlock. Senior Kyle Rhoad led off with a double, was bunted to third and trotted home on sophomore Matt Skirving's single up the middle.

The Bobcats roared back in the next half inning, using a two-out rally to plate a pair of runs off Combs and snag a 4-3 lead. Klimko doubled to right center, scoring senior third baseman Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) and junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio). Johnston added an insurance run in the ninth with a single to right that scored Eldemire, who reached on his first triple of the season (and third of his career), and Maddox made it 6-3 on a fielder's choice that allowed Krauss to cross home.

The insurance runs proved to be useful, as EMU tallied a run in the ninth, but Butt rung up two Eagles to finish his MAC-leading 13th game and snare the win for himself and the 'Cats.

Ohio and Eastern Michigan will play the rubber match of the three-game set Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. ET at Oestrike Stadium. Live stats will be available for the series finale on OhioBobcats.com.