May 1, 2010
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio-The Ohio baseball team erupted for an 11-3 win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Kent State, but dropped a 15-6 decision in the second contest as the host Golden Flashes took the series, two games to one at Schoonver Stadium.
Kent State stands at 27-19 overall and 12-6 in the Mid-American Conference, while Ohio now stands at 7-11 in the league.
Ohio catcher Kris McDonough had the big hit of the first game with a grand slam in the fifth inning for his eighth round-tripper of the season. Left fielder Robert Maddox III and first baseman Tyler Backstrom also drove in a pair of runs. McDonough also scored a team-high three runs.
Kent State was led by three hits apiece from center fielder Jared Humphreys and left fielder Anthony Gallas. Humphreys also scored twice.
Ohio reliever Bryce Butt (3-7) picked up the win, tossing the game's last four and two-thirds innings, allowing no runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Bobcat starter Seth Streich pitched the first four and one-third innings, yielding three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Kent State starter Robert Sabo (2-4) suffered the loss, surrendering four earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
The Golden Flashes put up the game's first run in the second inning, but Ohio responded with two in the fourth on a Maddox homer (12th of the season) to right center and an RBI single through the left side by designated hitter Matt Keller, who had three hits during the contest.
McDonough's big blast in the fifth came after third baseman Bryan Barnes drew a bases-loaded walk from KSU reliever Casey Wilson.
Kent State added two in the fifth, but Ohio answered with three in the seventh. Backstrom provided the big hit in this frame, with a two-run bolt to right field for his second homer of the 2010 campaign.
Maddox added the last run of the contest with a sacrifice fly to right in the eighth, scoring center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.
The Bobcats had seven batters hit during the game.
Ohio first baseman Jerod Yakubik went 0-4 during the first contest, snapping his 22-game hitting streak.
The second game between the two teams told a far different story.
Kent State's Gallas went 4-for-4 with four RBIS, while designated hitter Kyle McMillen, second baseman Evan Campbell and first baseman Kyle Weibley all posted three hits apiece. Six Flashes scored twice.
Ohio's Eldemire had three hits for the Bobcats and he and Maddox both knocked in a pair of runs. Yakubik scored twice.
KSU starter Kyle Hallock (5-3) got the win, throwing six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
Ohio starter Brent Choban (1-1) took the loss, yielding two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. The Bobcats used seven pitchers during this contest, with reliever Brett Barber (1.0 IP, two strikeouts) tossing a clean inning.
Ohio scored a run each in the second and third innings. The first run came on an RBI single up the middle by designated hitter Trace Voshell, scoring McDonough, who led off the inning with a triple to center.
The second run came on an RBI groundout by Maddox, scoring Yakubik.
From there, the floodgates opened as KSU put up five in the third, eight in the fourth and two in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Ohio did respond with one run in the seventh and three in the ninth, however, to finish the game.
Yakubik laced an RBI double to right center in the seventh, while Eldemire launched a two-run double to right center and Maddox knocked him in with a double to right in the ninth frame to complete the game's scoring.
The Bobcats will be back in action Tuesday at Dayton at 4 p.m.
