ATHENS, Ohio—The Ohio baseball team (23-19, 15-12 MAC) won both games against Akron (13-34, 11-24 MAC) today (May 8), securing a 5-2 victory in game one and winning the second game, 8-6.
GAME ONE
The Bobcats took an early lead, scoring one run off a single from senior
Mason Minzey (Grand Blanc, Mich.) in the first inning. Another RBI single in the second, this time from graduate student
Cael Baker (Gahanna, Ohio), put Ohio ahead 2-0.
The Zips led off the third inning with a solo homer, but the Bobcats quickly bounced back in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs off a bases loaded walk and an infield single. After two scoreless innings, Akron took advantage of a wild pitch, putting the score at 4-2. Redshirt senior
Spencer Harbert (Middletown, Del.) rounded up the scoring in bottom of the sixth, driving in fifth year
Colin Kasperbauer (Sioux City, Iowa) with a single to left field.
Senior
Braxton Kelly (Ulysses, Ky.) struck out two of the four batters he faced in the top of the seventh, solidifying Ohio's 5-2 victory.
Individually, senior
Will Sturek (Minnetonka, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI while fifth year
Isaiah Peterson, redshirt freshman
AJ Rausch (Powell, Ohio) and Harbert all went 2-for-4. On the mound, redshirt junior
Eamon Horwedel (Ann Arbor, Mich.) started for the first time this season, pitching three complete innings with two strikeouts. Kelly pitched the remaining four innings, striking out nine.
GAME TWO
After three scoreless innings, Ohio scored five runs off a sacrifice fly from Baker, an Akron throwing error and a three-run home run from Peterson. The next inning, junior
Alex Finney (Oxford, Mich.) singled up the middle, driving in Kasperbauer to extend the Bobcat's lead to 6-0. A Kasperbaurer RBI triple in the sixth and a Baker sacrifice fly in the seventh put Ohio up 8-0 heading into the top of the eighth.
A single to left field in the eighth drove in the Zips' first run of the game, followed by a sacrifice fly to cut the Bobcats' lead to six runs. The next inning, Akron quickly went to work, putting the score at 8-5 with an RBI single and two-run home run. A fielder's choice drove in the Zips' sixth run, but fifth year
Brett Manis (Port Huron, Mich.) drew a groundout to end the game, putting the final score at 8-6.
Individually, Harbert went 2-for-2 with a double and two walks a while Kasperbauer went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a home run. On the mound, freshman
Hudson Boncal (Corona, Calif.) pitched six scoreless innings, drawing nine fly outs and three grounduots.
UP NEXT
The Bobcats return to action tomorrow (May 9) at 1 p.m. for their fourth and final game against the Zips.
#OUohyeah
