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EVANSVILLE, Ind.-- The Ohio baseball team (3-4) defeated UIC (3-4), 5-1 on Friday (March 4) at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

Fifth year starting pitcher Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) dominated the UIC offense, allowing only one run and nine hits in seven innings. Kutt IV also struck out nine batters in 94 pitches. The only run he gave up was in the second inning as a runner scored from third base on a two-out single.

Ohio didn't wait long to take back control of the game, though. Junior designated hitter Alex Finney (Oxford, Mich.) brought in fifth year Isaiah Peterson (Lincoln, Neb.) on a sac fly to score the Bobcats' first run of the game in the third inning.

The Bobcats broke the game open in the sixth inning starting with an RBI double from senior catcher Mason Minzey (Grand Blanc, Mich.) to score Peterson from second base. Senior first baseman Colin Kasperbauer (Sioux City, Iowa) came up next and scored Finney off a sac fly to take a two-run lead.

Ohio's offense picked up where it left off in the seventh inning with two more runs to stretch the lead to four. Redshirt junior shortstop Xavier Haendiges (Salem, Ind.) started the scoring with an RBI single up the middle that brought in redshirt senior Michael Richardson (Caimbridge, Md.). Ohio loaded the bases after another single and a walk, and Peterson scored his third run of the game on a wild pitch by UIC pitcher Joey Morris.

Fifth year relief pitcher Brett Manis (Port Huron, Mich.) came in for the last two innings and only faced six batters. After finishing the eighth inning with only four pitches, he forced a double play in the ninth and closed the game with a groundout.

UP NEXT
Ohio will face Evansville on Saturday and Sunday at Charles H. Braun Stadium, starting tomorrow at 1 p.m.

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