April 18, 2010
Final Stats
DEKALB, Ill.-Ohio hurler Seth Streich tossed six solid innings and the offense responded with seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings to power the Bobcats to a 9-7 win over Northern Illinois Sunday at Ralph McKinzie Field.
The win lifted Ohio to 10-23 overall and 6-6 in the Mid-American Conference, while the Huskies dropped to 12-22 overall and 5-7 in the league.
Streich (1-3) got his first career win, allowing four runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Relievers Brent Choban and Ben Trimbur took care of the final nine outs for the visitors.
NIU starter Tom Barry (2-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks in four and two-thirds innings. Andy Deain, the Huskies’ closer, did a good job of keeping Ohio’s bats silent over the last two and one-third frames, yielding just one hit with three strikeouts and no walks.
Ohio first baseman Jerod Yakubik had a team-high three hits with an RBI and two runs scored. Shortstop Wesley O’Neill, catcher Kris McDonough and second baseman Zach Keen also had two hits, while center fielder Adam Gecewich and third baseman Bryan Barnes drove in two runs.
The Huskies’ middle infield tandem of second baseman Alex Jones and second baseman Marvin Sanchez drove in two runs apiece, while designated hitter Brian Smith posted two hits and scored three times.
NIU got on the board with two runs in the first, but Ohio answered with two in its half of the fourth. Gecewich knocked in the first run with a double and came around to score when left fielder Robert Maddox III laced a single to right.
The Huskies edged back ahead with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Bobcats struck the big blow with five tallies in the top of the fifth. Yakubik roped an RBI single up the middle for the first run and Gecewich followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the second tally. With the bases loaded, McDonough was hit by a Barry offering to force in Ohio’s third run of the inning and Barnes scored the last two on a single to right, plating Maddox and designated hitter Trace Voshell.
O’Neill made the score 8-3 Bobcats in the sixth when he raced home on a wild pitch by NIU reliever Tom Zelasko.
After NIU scored another run, Keen roped an RBI double down the right field line in the seventh, scoring Gauntlett Eldemire, who came on to pinch run for right fielder Kory Burkhart. Burkhart got aboard after he was hit by a 1-2 Zelasko pitch.
NIU scored one run in the seventh and two in the ninth to make things interesting and eventually got center fielder Jordin Hood to the plate, representing the game-winning run. However, Trimbur fanned Hood on a 2-2 pitch to nail down the game and series for the Bobcats.
Ohio stranded 10 runners, while NIU left five on. In all, the Bobcats were hit by NIU pitches four times during the course of the action.
The Bobcats face Cincinnati in Chillicothe at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
