May 16, 2010
Final Stats
AKRON, Ohio-Left fielder Robert Maddox III drilled home runs 18 and 19 on the season to power a resilient Ohio team past Akron 13-10 in 11 innings Sunday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field.
The Bobcats, who have clinched a spot in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, improved to 20-30 overall and 13-11 in the league with the three-game sweep, while Akron dropped to 20-31 and 3-21 in the conference.
Maddox finished the game going 4-for-6 at the plate with five RBIs and three runs scored, while center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire scored four times. Akron was led by a 4-for-6 effort as well, as catcher John Turk did the trick with two RBIS. Right fielder Jake Plata, first baseman Kyle Hallett and designated hitter Ivory Alexander also posted two-RBI afternoons.
Ohio reliever Michael Dillon (4-3), the Bobcats’ seventh pitcher of the afternoon, got the win. He allowed just one hit in one and one-third innings, with one strikeout and no walks. Akron reliever Bobby Simone (1-1) suffered the loss, yielding one earned run on four hits, with one strikeout and one walk in one and one-third innings.
Maddox put Ohio on the board in the first inning with an RBI-double to center field, but the Zips bounced back with three runs in the third and one in the fourth.
However, the Bobcats accomplished the same feat in the sixth and seventh frames. Second baseman Zach Keen laced a two-run double to center field in the sixth and came around to score when shortstop Wesley O’Neill reached on an error. Pinch hitter Matt Keller accounted for the seventh-inning tally when his single through the right side scored Maddox.
First baseman Jerod Yakubik blasted a solo homer to right in the eighth and Maddox’s first homer of the day, a two-run shot to right center, gave Ohio an 8-4 lead.
Alas, the Zips countered with two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings.
Maddox’s second two-run homer to right in the 10th gave the Bobcats another two-run lead, but Akron fought back with the tying runs in the bottom of that inning to extend the game yet again.
First baseman Tyler Backstrom came home with the go-ahead run in the 11th when Yakubik’s flyball was misplayed in the outfield. Eldemire followed with a run-scoring double to right to give Ohio a 12-10 lead.
Dillon made this lead stand up in the bottom of the frame, as he nailed down the win with a game-ending double-play ball to second.
The two teams combined for 38 hits and 27 runners left on base.
Eldemire registered his team-high 15th stolen base in the eighth inning.
Ohio will be back in action Tuesday against Xavier at 6 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium in its 2010 home finale.
