April 8, 2009
Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - Senior starter Zach Fairbanks allowed just one earned run in six innings, while eight different Bobcats recorded a hit to help the Ohio University baseball team knock off NAIA Shawnee State, 8-3, Wednesday night at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats (17-16, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) move to 3-0 all-time against the Bears (16-17).
Fairbanks (Martins Ferry, Ohio) garnered his first win of the season to go to 1-2 on the year, as he surrendered three runs, while fanning a season-high five Bears without issuing a walk. Senior reliever Adam Goodpasture (Columbus, Ohio) tossed two and third innings of no-run, one-hit baseball to help preserve the Ohio win.
"For the most part I thought our three pitchers went out and did a good job. We played fairly good defense, but we just didn't break the game open as we'd have liked to," said Ohio head coach Joe Carbone, who earned his 599th career win Wednesday night. "I thought we hung in there and did what we needed to do to get the win."
The Bobcats collected 14 hits on the night, led by three each from senior right fielder Hayden Johnston (Strattanville, Pa.), sophomore left fielder Adam Gecewich (Strongsville, Ohio) and junior first baseman Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio).
"Adam's (Gecewich) been working hard for two years," Carbone said. "He might be our best overall defensive outfielder. He plays good defense and throws well and his hitting is coming around. When he's been given the call, he's always been ready to play and he did a good job again tonight."
Johnston, who was 3-for-5, scored three times and registered his MAC-leading 14th double of the year, while Yakubik (3-for-4) drove in a career-high three runs, scored once, stole a base and had multiple hits for the third time in four games.
Senior second baseman Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) put the 'Cats on the board in the second stanza with a solo shot to dead center, his fourth homer of 2009, and Yakubik made it 3-0 Ohio with a two-RBI single to right field in the third inning. The Bobcats then plated a pair of runs in the fifth on singles by sophomore designated hitter Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio), who extended his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 13 games, and Gecewich for a 5-0 edge, before the Bears tallied three runs in the sixth to close within two.
Ohio responded with two more scores in the seventh however, when senior catcher Chris Klimko (McKeesport, Pa.) smoked a two-RBI double down the left-field line putting the 'Cats on top 7-3. Yakubik later scored Johnston in the eighth on a single through the right side, giving Ohio a five-run cushion. Goodpasture kept Shawnee State quiet in the seventh and eighth, while junior closer Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) captured the final two outs in the ninth to seal the 8-3 Bobcat victory.
The Bobcats return to the diamond this weekend for a three-game MAC inter-divisional series at Eastern Michigan. Game one is Friday, April 10 at 6 p.m. ET, while Saturday's contest starts at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday's series finale has first pitch slated for 1 p.m. ET. Live stats are scheduled to be available for all three games on EMUEagles.com.
