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FINAL: IPFW 7 (9-5), Ohio 1 (5-8) - Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium) 

OHIO STARTERS: Manny De Jesus (CF), Ty Black (2B), Mitch Longo (LF), John Adryan (3B), Rudy Rott (1B), Cody Gaertner (C), Tony Giannini (RF), Nate Squires (DH), Tyler Finkler (SS), Jake Miller (P)

IPFW STARTERS: Brandon Soat (CF), Evan VanSumeren (LF), Greg Kaiser (SS), Shane Trevino (RF), Kendall Whitman (1B), Brock Logan (DH), Jonathan Reese (C), Shanon Baker (3B), Jackson Boyce (2B), Evan Miller (P)

THE BASICS
The Ohio baseball team (5-8) dropped its home opener, 7-1, Friday (March 11) by giving up seven runs on 10 hits to IPFW (9-5) at Bob Wren Stadium. It was the opening game of a three-game set against the Mastodons which will wrap up on Saturday with a DH starting at 11 a.m. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mastodons outhit the Bobcats, 8-6, and drew six walks.
• Redshirt senior catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) finished 2-for-4 with two singles.
• Junior shortstop Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) went 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored.
• Junior pinch hitter Spencer Ibarra (Fort Collins, Colo.) doubled down the left field line with his only at-bat of the evening.
• Senior starting pitcher Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) took the loss on the mound. He struck out two and allowed three earned runs on four hits and five walks in 5.1 innings of work. 
• IPFW was led by senior left fielder Evan VanSumeren, who finished the night 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
• First Baseman Kendall Whitman went 2-for-2 with one run batted in and one run scored for the Mastodons. 
• Designated hitter Brock Logan finished out the night 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and one run scored for IPFW. 
• Sophomore starting pitcher Evan Miller picked up the win for IPFW, striking out eight batters and allowing only one run on four hits and four walks.
• IPFW grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Kendall Whitman (city, state) and Brock Logan (city, state) were driven in on consecutive ground-outs to first after being advanced to second and third on a wild pitch from Miller. Miller retired the next batter to get out of the inning.
• The Bobcats couldn't plate a run in the bottom of the second as IPFW increased its lead by another run, 3-0, in the top of the third inning. With runners on second and third, Whitman singled up the middle, allowing Evan VanSumeren to cross home plate after he singled to left-center to start the inning.
• Miller dug himself into a small hole in the top of the 5th, walking two and loading the bases with two outs. Miller forced Logan to ground out, however, and escaped the inning unscathed.
• Ohio would get on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) hit a grounder to short. Greg Kaiser committed a throwing error to first base, allowing Finkler to cross the plate from second base.
• IPFW pitcher Jordan Martin would relieve Miller and only allow one hit in two innings.
• IPFW would regain its three-score lead in the top of the ninth. Brandon Soat singled to center field, allowing Shannon Baker to come home after he doubled earlier in the inning. The Mastodons would put another run up in the top of the ninth. Kaiser hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, bringing Soat home and making the score 5-1.
• Brock Logan would then make it four runs scored in the ninth, after an infield fly fell helplessly to the ground. Two runners touched home plate and therein lied the final score 7-1.
• Junior pitcher Matt Mikolajczak (New Lenox, Ill.) pitched 2.2 innings of solid relief giving up just one hit against eight batters and striking out three for the Bobcats. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• Gaertner has hit safely in a team-high 10-straight games. He has recorded FIVE multi-hit efforts and two multi-RBI games this season 

UP NEXT
Ohio continues action against IPFW on Saturday (March 12) with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at Bob Wren Stadium. 

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