April 5, 2009
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University baseball team rallied to overcome deficits twice, but couldn't a third time after four Rocket runs in the eighth, as Toledo took the series finale, 7-5, Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats (13-13, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) still claimed the series with the West Division-leading Rockets (12-15, 6-3), however, after sweeping Saturday's twin bill.
"We still won the series," Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said after the disappointing loss. "If we split the season into thirds and we're 7-2 after the first third of the season, and if we can do that every third we're in great shape, but that remains to be seen. Being 7-2 after the first third is pretty good. Being over .500 in the league is the key because that will (usually) get you into the MAC Tournament."
Ohio was out-hit 11-5 in the loss, with junior Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) going 2-for-3, including his sixth home run in as many games, giving him a MAC-best 13 on the year and 31 for his career, which moves him into a tie for ninth on Ohio's career home runs ledger. Sophomore designated hitter Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) also extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the sixth.
The Rockets put a run on the board in the second inning, as sophomore Jared Hoying tripled to right field and scored on senior Jake Oester's sacrifice fly to center. Toledo made it 2-0 in the fourth, when Oester scored on a sac fly.
Krauss broke up UT starter and former high school teammate Mike Inselmann's no hitter in the sixth with his solo blast to left-center field and the 'Cats knotted the game at two when senior right fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.) scored on a throwing error by Hoying, the shortstop. In the top of the seventh, junior Aaron Dudley was thrown out at home by junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio) while trying to score on an error, temporarily keeping the game tied, until freshman Ben Hammer scored an unearned run, regaining the lead for the Rockets.
Ohio again answered in the bottom half of the stanza, plating three runs for a 5-3 cushion, as substitute left fielder Adam Gecewich (Strongsville, Ohio) smoked a double down the left-field line to score sophomore Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) and sophomore center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) clubbed his eighth home run of the year a batter later, which also scored Gecewich, ending Inselmann's day after six and a third innings and five runs (four earned) on four hits.
Toledo did not go quietly however, rallying for four runs in the eighth to grab a 7-5 edge, all with two outs off junior reliever Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.), who suffered the loss and fell to 0-5. Hammer's RBI double down the line evened the count at five and sophomore Chris Dudics, who had three RBIs on the day, delivered the big blow, a two-RBI single up the middle, which scored the game-winning runs.
The Bobcats were unable to rally a third time, as senior Jeff Cinadr kept the 'Cats hitless in the eighth and sophomore Matt Zahel picked up his sixth save of the year by forcing Ohio to ground out to the shortstop three-straight times in the ninth to prevent a Bobcat weekend sweep.
The Bobcats remain at home this week with a pair of non-conference games against Youngstown State and Shawnee State. On Tuesday, April 7, Ohio hosts the Penguins and on Wednesday, April 8, Shawnee State comes to Athens with both games starting at 6 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium. Tuesday's contest will be broadcast on WATH 970 AM in Athens and streamed live on OhioBobcats.com with pre-game coverage starting at 5:45 p.m. ET, as the "Voice of the Bobcats" Russ Eisenstein and Brian Boesch will have the call. Both games will have live stats available via Gametracker on OhioBobcats.com.
