Ohio gave up 12 runs, the least it's allowed in a series this season, but lost two of its three games over the weekend against Bowling Green.
The Bowling Green series marked the Bobcats’ first Mid-American Conference series of the season.
Friday
Ohio lost 6-4 against Bowling Green in the first game of the series, allowing 10 hits while recording just six.
Gerry Salisbury pitched 5 2/3 innings in the loss, giving up six earned runs on eight hits. Sophomore catcher Tanner Piechnick and senior infielder Tony Giannini led the team in hits with two each.
The Bobcats were down 3-0 after the first inning, but they quickly cut the lead in the top of the second. Giannini hit a one-out single, followed by a Piechnick home run.
In the top of the fourth, Rudy Rott scored on a Giannini sacrifice fly, tying the game at 3 at the end of the fourth.
The Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Piechnick hit another home run in the top of the ninth, but the Bobcats couldn’t cut the lead any further. Piechnick and Rott are tied for the team lead in home runs with four each.
Saturday
After scoring four runs Friday, the Bobcats’ quality offense returned Saturday. The Bobcats defeated the Falcons 11-3, tying the largest margin of victory they’ve had this season. Ohio’s other largest margin of victory came over Rider on Feb. 17, when the Bobcats won 10-2.
Cory Blessing earned the win for the Bobcats as he gave up one earned run and one hit. Klein also pitched in the win, giving up three hits and one earned run.
Rott led the team in hits with three, and Giannini, Piechnick and Ryan Sargent each had two hits. Ohio had 12 hits, and after batting below .200 on Friday, it batted .333 on Saturday.
The Bobcats were down 1-0 after the end of the first inning but exploded for seven runs in the third and fourth innings.
In the top of the fourth inning, Sargent scored off a sacrifice fly from Aaron Levy, and Devon Garcia and Dan McCauley scored off a double from Rott. Rott then scored on a Piechnick grounder to short.
After the end of the fourth inning, the Bobcats didn’t give up a run from the sixth inning to the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth, the Bobcats scored two runs. One came from Trevor Hafner, who scored off a single from sophomore catcher Jack Longo.
Levy then helped drive in Sargent for a run after he grounded out to third base. The Bobcats finished the game not allowing the Falcons to score more than one run in any inning.
Sunday
The Bobcats lost the series finale 3-1 against the Falcons, and they had seven hits in the loss. Piechnick led the team in hits with two; he finished the series with six hits and two home runs.
Senior pitcher Butch Baird threw in the loss, and he gave up two earned runs and five hits in the five innings he pitched. Along with Baird, Eddie Kutt threw in the loss and allowed one hit.
Neither team scored from the second inning to the fourth inning, and the Bobcats were down 3-0 after the end of the fifth inning. Ohio scored its lone run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. The Bobcats had two outs, but Sargent hit a single to right field that helped Rott score.
After scoring 11 runs Saturday, the Bobcats’ offense didn’t see the same sort of production Sunday. As a team, Ohio batted .218, and its highest batting average of the series came Saturday.
What’s Next
Ohio will play against Morehead State on the road Tuesday at 5 p.m. and will have its home-opener this weekend against Northern Illinois.
