May 15, 2010
Final Stats
AKRON, Ohio- Ohio Baseball kept up its hot streak on Saturday as the Bobcats won their fifth game in a row, defeating the Akron Zips in a marathon 14-inning affair by a final score of 5-3. Bryan Barnes drove in the winning run in the top of the 14th on a one-out double and Bryce Butt (Omaha, Neb.) nailed it down in the bottom of the frame, allowing runners to reach second and third but not cross the plate. Butt had come on the middle of the sixth inning in relief of starter Seth Streich (Ridgeway, Pa.).
With the win, Ohio is now 19-30 overall with a 12-11 record in Mid-American Conference play.
The Bobcats started off the game on the right foot on Saturday, scoring one run in each of the first two innings. After Jerod Yakubik (Byesville, Ohio) single and stolen base, a two-out double by Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) in the top of the first drove in the first run. Just an inning later, Tyler Backstrom (Columbus, Ohio) hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot that gave Ohio its second run of the day.
Akron (20-30, 3-20 MAC) was able to counter each time, scoring a run in each of the first two innings to level the score at two apiece.
Thanks to solid pitching and defense by both teams, the score remained even until Ivory Alexander hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to push the Zips out in front 3-2.
It appeared that Akron was poised to take this one-run lead to the end of the contest, but the Bobcats had other ideas. Barnes (Mountlake, Wash.) hit a one-out triple in the top of the eighth and was driven in by a single from Kris McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to knot things up at 3-3.
The ‘Cats threatened again in the top of the tenth inning by putting runners on second and third with one out, but a foul out and a groundout later, they were back in the field to await the Akron bats.
The battle raged on deep into the afternoon, becoming the longest game of Ohio’s season. The Bobcats showed much grit and determination, holding Akron at bay long enough to plate two runs in the top of the 14th on a clutch one-out double by Barnes.
Akron threatened in the bottom of the final frame, getting runners on second and third with one out. Butt was then able to force the Zips into a popup and a groundout to first to end the game.
The Bobcats will finish the series in Akron Sunday with a 1 p.m. start before returning to Bob Wren Stadium to host Xavier in a mid-week clash on Tuesday, May 18.
