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THE BASICS
The Ohio baseball team (23-29, 8-16 MAC) concluded its 2016 campaign by splitting a Friday (May 20) doubleheader with Mid-American Conference East Division archrival Miami (26-27, 14-10 MAC) at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio. The RedHawks posted a 4-0 victory in game one of the twin bill, but the Bobcats bounced back with a 6-2 win in the second game to end their season on a positive note.

Ohio honored its six-member senior class of infielder John Adryan (Delran, N.J.), outfielder Manny De Jesus (Caguas, Puerto Rico), right-handed pitcher Eddie Fitzpatrick (North Attleboro, Mass.), catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.), right-handed pitcher Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) and right-handed pitcher Connor Sitz (Westerville, Ohio) between games.

Miami won the weekend series, 2-1. The RedHawks recorded a 10-2 win in the opening game of the weekend set on Friday (May 19).

FINAL -- GAME 1: Miami 4, Ohio 0 -- Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium)

OHIO STARTERS: Manny De Jesus (CF), Ty Black (SS), Mitch Longo (LF), Rudy Rott (1B), Cody Gaertner (DH), John Adryan (3B), Tony Giannini (RF), Anthony Mrosla (C), Mateus Vakuda (2B), Jake Rudnicki (P)

MIAMI STARTERS: Tyler Harris (RF), Adam Yacek (3B), Ross Haffey (1B), Gary Russo (DH), Chad Sedio (SS), Dallas Hall (LF), Steve Sada (2B), Hayden Senger (C), Jake Romano (CF), Cole Gnetz (P)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The RedHawks tallied four runs off of 10 hits and a walk while holding the Bobcats to six hits and forcing them to strand 11 runners on base.
• Redshirt senior catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went 2-for-2 with two walks to lead Ohio's offense.
• Sitz fanned three over five innings of work in his final start as a Bobcat while giving up two earned runs on five hits. He fell to 2-4 on the season.
• Redshirt sophomore southpaw reliever Gerry Salisbury (Brunswick, Ohio) threw three innings, striking out three while permitting one earned run on four hits and a walk.
• Fitzpatrick tossed one inning in his final appearance for Ohio, striking out one while allowing one earned run on one hit.
• Redshirt sophomore first baseman Ross Haffey led Miami's bats, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored.
• Freshman right-handed pitcher Cole Gnetz earned the pitching win for the RedHawks, improving to 4-2 on the year. He struck out three over 4.1 innings of work while giving up four hits and three walks.
• Freshman right-handed reliever Bailey Martin tossed 1.2 innings for Miami, fanning one while allowing one hit and two walks.
• Freshman righty Nick Ernst threw one inning out of the bullpen for the RedHawks, striking out one while giving up a hit.
• Freshman right-hander Andy Almquist earned his second save of the season for Miami after fanning one and allowing a walk in two innings of relief.
• Miami used two-out hitting to grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Senior designated hitter Gary Russo belted a two-out solo shot over the left field wall for the first run of the game. After senior shortstop Chad Sedio was hit by a pitch, he advanced to second on an infield single to short by freshman left fielder Dallas Hall and scored on a single to right by junior second baseman Steve Sada.
• The RedHawks extended their lead to 3-0 in the sixth as Haffey sent a leadoff double down the right field line and scored one out later on a base hit down the right field line by Sedio.
• Miami added a fourth and final run in the ninth when freshman catcher Hayden Senger hit a one-out solo home run to left.

FINAL -- GAME 2: Ohio 6, Miami 2 -- Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium)

OHIO STARTERS: Manny De Jesus (CF), Devon Garcia (LF), Mitch Longo (RF), John Adryan (3B), Cody Gaertner (C), Rudy Rott (1B), Connor Sitz (DH), Connor Callery (2B), Tyler Finkler (SS), Jake Rudnicki (P)

MIAMI STARTERS: Jake Romano (CF), Kyle Winkler (SS), Ross Haffey (1B), Adam Yacek (3B), Steve Sada (2B), Spencer Dull (C), Brooks Urich (RF), Charlie Dauch (DH), Julian Flanary (LF), Zach Spears (P)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bobcats outhit the RedHawks, 9-7.
• De Jesus capped his career off with a big performance, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
• Junior shortstop Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) finished 2-for-4.
• Junior designated hitter Spencer Ibarra (Fort Collins, Colo.) drew a pair of walks and scored two runs.
• Junior right-handed pitcher Jake Rudnicki (Toledo, Ohio) wrapped up the season by earning a win on the mound to improve to 5-3 on the year. He fanned seven while allowing two runs -- one of which was earned -- on five hits over six frames.
• Junior right-handy Tom Colletti (Wheaton, Ill.) tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out two while permitting two hits.
• Redshirt sophomore right-hander Jake Roehn (Sandwich, Ill.) pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
• Freshman shortstop Kyle Winkler collected two hits and scored a run to lead the RedHawks at the plate.
• Redshirt junior third baseman Adam Yacek singled and drove in two runs for Miami.
• Freshman left-handed starting pitcher Zach Spears took the loss on the mound for the RedHawks, giving up three runs -- two of which were earned -- on six hits in 4.1 innings of work. He struck out two.
• Junior right-hander Brad Schwartz allowed two earned runs on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings of relief on the mound. He fanned one.
• Senior right-handed reliever Daniel Mooney walked two in one scoreless frame.
• Junior righty Eric Handelman gave up one earned run on one hit and a walk.
• Miami jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Haffey hit a two-out single to left and advanced to second on a Miami fielding error on the play, then scored on a single back up the middle by redshirt junior third baseman Adam Yacek.
• Ohio evened the score in the home half of the frame as De Jesus sent a leadoff single down the left field line, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman left fielder Devon Garcia (Bowling Green, Ohio) and scored one out later on a single through the right side by Adryan.
• The Bobcats grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Redshirt sophomore pinch hitter Michael Klein (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) knocked a two-out single to left, then advanced to third on a Miami fielding error that put junior second baseman Connor Callery (Covington, Ky.) on base safely. Klein then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
• Ohio's advantage swelled to two runs in the ensuing frame. De Jesus shot a leadoff base hit through the right side, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Garcia and to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a single to center field by junior right fielder Mitch Longo (Mayfield, Ohio).
• The RedHawks made it a one-run game in the top of the fifth as Winkler legged out an infield single to third, moved up to second on a wild pitch and then scored one out later when Yacek served up a sacrifice fly to center.
• The Bobcats responded to the challenge with two more runs in the sixth. Freshman first baseman Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) led off with a single to right. Ibarra followed by drawing a walk. After Finkler moved both into scoring position on a ground out to third, Rott and Ibarra scored by way of a two-RBI single to left center by De Jesus.
• Ohio scored its final run of the 2016 season in the eighth. Ibarra coaxed a leadoff walk, advanced to third one out later on a single to center by Finkler and then scored courtesy of an RBI ground out to first by De Jesus.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• De Jesus notched his 18th multi-hit game of the season, which ties him for second on the team. He tallied at least three hits in a game seven times this year, which ties him for the team lead. De Jesus also posted seven multi-RBI games this season, which ranks fourth on the team.
• Gaertner logged his 17th multi-hit effort of the year.
• Finkler recorded his seventh multi-hit contest of the season.

QUOTABLE
Fourth-year head coach Rob Smith on closing out senior day with a win
"I'm happy for our seniors. At least the last taste in their mouth was a win. And, in a well-played game; probably one of the better ones we've had this year. I'm happy for them. As we move into our team meeting tomorrow and start to set the stage for what's ahead of us, hopefully it sets a positive vibe."

Smith on the 2016 season
"I appreciate the effort the kids gave. They worked incredibly hard. I'm disappointed we're not moving on to the (MAC) tournament, but it wasn't from a lack of effort or lack of caring. It was just an inability to do things on the baseball field. We'll get back to work and see what we can do."

Senior center fielder Manny De Jesus on his big performance in his finale with the Bobcats
"It felt great to go out with a great performance. That's the best for me and for my team. If I can help my team win, then that's what I'll do."

De Jesus on closing out his college career
"I'm still trying to soak it in. I don't think it's hit me yet. I'm definitely going to miss it. I'm just glad that I got to play for four years and have a good career."

De Jesus on the legacy the 2016 senior class leaves behind
"We think our leadership is going to make them better. The younger guys are going to learn from us and keep it rolling, and, maybe, win some MAC championships here in the next few years."

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