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bsb
9
Butler BUTLER 3-5
13
Winner Ohio OHIO 2-6
Butler BUTLER
3-5
9
Final
13
Ohio OHIO
2-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Butler BUTLER 0 1 1 1 2 2 0 1 1 9 12 3
Ohio OHIO 4 2 4 0 1 0 2 0 X 13 12 2

W: Gaskey, Blake (1-1) L: SNYDER (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Ohio Baseball Earns 13-9 Victory in Home Opener Against Butler

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio baseball team (2-6) secured a 13-9 victory over Butler (3-5) on Friday, Feb. 28 at Bob Wren Stadium.

Senior pitcher Blake Gaskey (Davenport, Iowa) led the Bobcats on the mound, recording five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.

"The energy is different at home," Gaskey said. "We got the home crowd behind us, and it makes it even more energizing."

Ohio opened the game with momentum, retiring the Bulldogs in order in the top of the first. A strikeout from Gaskey, a groundout from sophomore Ben Slanker (Canfield, Ohio) to sophomore Trae Cassidy (Northville, Mich.), and a flyout caught by sophomore Caleb Karll (Fitchburg, Wis.) set the tone early.

"Getting on a hot start really gives us momentum going into the whole game," Slanker said. "It really gives us energy and gets everyone into the game early on."

In the bottom of the first, freshman Matt Ineich (South Lyon, Mich.) stole second and third base before Cassidy hit an RBI single up the middle to put Ohio on the board. Karll capped off the inning with a three-run home run, giving the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.

Ohio added two more runs in the second inning before Slanker hit a solo home run in the third. Sophomore JR Nelson (Vernon Hills, Ill.) followed with an RBI double, and Ineich drove in two more runs with a single, extending the lead to 10-2.

Butler chipped away at the deficit, scoring in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. However, Ohio's defense turned an impressive double play in the fourth, with Nelson fielding a ground ball at shortstop and throwing to Cassidy at first to end the frame.

The Bulldogs closed the gap to 11-7 in the sixth inning, prompting Ohio to bring in junior Landon Price (Middle Point, Ohio) in relief. The Bobcats added two insurance runs in the seventh, highlighted by a double from senior Jackson Cauthron (Murfreesboro, Tenn.).

Redshirt junior Dylan Eggl (Albion, Ind.) took the mound in the eighth inning, allowing one run in 1.1 innings pitched to seal the win.

"To come out and get the first win on our first home game is huge," head coach Craig Moore said. "There was a lot of energy, a lot of juice, and a lot of bounce."

Ohio finished the game with 13 runs on 12 hits and two errors, while Butler recorded nine runs on 12 hits and three errors.

The Bobcats continue their series against Butler in Athens on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be available to watch on YouTube.

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