April 12, 2009
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. - For the second-straight day the Ohio University baseball team used an eighth-inning rally to defeat Eastern Michigan, doing so 8-3 Sunday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium in the rubber match between the two teams. The Bobcats (16-14, 9-3 Mid-American Conference) have now won each of their first four league series'.
"Our goal every weekend is to take the series," Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said. "This weekend was the first time we lost the opening game, which puts a little more pressure on you to come through in the final two games, but I thought we played very well this weekend. It was difficult to get the two wins. We had to scratch and claw for everything."
Ohio out-hit Eastern Michigan (8-25, 3-9 MAC) for the first time all weekend, 11-10, led by junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik's (Byesville, Ohio) 3-for-4 day, with an RBI and a run scored, as well. Sophomore designated hitter Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) tallied a pair of hits and RBIs each, while also crossing home once. Junior left fielder Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while senior second baseman Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) had two runs, two hits and a run driven in.
Junior reliever Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) earned his second win in as many days, moving to 2-5 on the year (with five saves), after tossing the final two and two-thirds innings and allowing no runs on a pair of hits with a season-high six strikeouts. Senior Kevin Mementowski (Parma, Ohio) had a strong day on the mound for the 'Cats, as well, conceding just two runs in five and two-thirds innings of relief.
EMU senior Sean Hoffman (1-4) took the loss, surrendering five runs (all unearned) in three and two-thirds innings of work.
The Eagles snagged a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the first on redshirt junior Andrew Marshall's double down the line, but the 'Cats captured the lead in the top of the fourth using four singles and sophomore right fielder Adam Gecewich's (Strongsville, Ohio) first-career sac fly. Yakubik brought home Johnston, while Gecewich's fly out tallied Maddox for a 2-1 advantage.
Ohio stretched its lead to two in the fifth, as senior third baseman Brandon Besl's (Cincinnati, Ohio) ground out scored sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio). Marshall's second RBI of the day brought EMU back within one in the home half of the fifth, however. Eastern Michigan then evened the score at three in the seventh and loaded the bags, but Butt fanned redshirt freshman Wally Gerbus to keep the game tied.
The Bobcats broke open the deadlock with a five-run eighth inning, plating the go ahead runs on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Eldemire and capped the outburst with Maddox's two-RBI single up the middle. After two Eagles reached base to lead off the ninth, Butt recorded three-straight outs, including the final two via strikeout, to nail down the win.
"I think our guys are playing with a lot more poise and control," Carbone said of the second-straight late inning rally. "You just keep banging away and taking your cuts and hope sooner or later somebody's going to do something good for you. Different guys are coming through for us in different games, which is nice to see."
The Bobcats return home to host Marshall Tuesday, April 14 with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium. Live stats will be available via Gametracker on OhioBobcats.com.
Notes: Maddox collected back-to-back multi-RBI games with his two RBIs today and has nine multi-RBI games this year, which is second on the team ... Ohio is now 11-1 in 2009 when limiting its opponents to five runs or less ... Butt finished his 14th game of the year, which is tops in the conference ... Yakubik belted his third double in four games Sunday and has had multiple hits in four of his last seven games ... Freshman Michael Dillon (Bel Air, Md.) made his first start on the mound in MAC play Sunday ... The Bobcats are 5-1 this year when playing in the state of Michigan.
