A bases loaded single by Ohio's cleanup hitter earned the team its most dramatic come-from-behind victory of the year.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ohio had one last chance to capitalize on baserunners in scoring position.
Jake Madsen delivered an RBI single to give the Bobcats a dramatic 8-7 victory over Bowling Green to even the weekend series at one apiece.
Down 7-5 in the final frame, Ohio mounted its comeback. Manny DeJesus hit a bases loaded sac-fly to center field, Garrett Black followed with an RBI single, then Longo reloaded the bases with a single – his fifth hit of the day – to set the stage for cleanup hitter Jake Madsen.
Ohio's three ninth-inning runs gave it just its second win on the year when trailing after eight innings. Logan Cozart (4-1) got the win for the Bobcats.
Trailing 1-0, Ohio threatened in the second inning, but a bases loaded line drive by Manny DeJesus was speared by the Falcons’ first baseman for a bang-bang double play to end the chance.
Bobcat starter Connor Sitz was ousted in the third inning after he walked the bases loaded and then gave up a two-RBI single, giving Bowling Green a 3-0 lead. Sitz tossed 2 2/3 innings, allowed three runs and four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Mitch Longo answered the Falcons in the bottom of the third with a two-run blast over the right field wall to put the Bobcats within one. With the homerun, he extended his hitting streak to eleven games.
Longo was in the middle of the run production again in the fourth. After DeJesus redeemed himself with a sharp RBI single through the right side of the infield to tie the game 3-3, Longo scorched a two-run double to give Ohio a lead for the first time in the game.
Longo finished 5-for-6 with two doubles, a homerun, four RBI and a run scored.
Freshman Logan Jacik, in relief for Sitz, retired his first nine batters but then allowed four straight singles and was replaced by Corey Wells with the score tied 5-5. Jacik finished with three plus innings pitched, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
Ohio trailed again 6-5 in the top of seventh after an RBI fielder’s choice for Bowling Green. The Bobcats had runners on second and third base in the bottom of the frame with none out, but squandered the opportunity with a baserunning miscommunication that resulted in a double play and then another groundout.
The Bobcats surrendered another run on a suicide squeeze in the eighth to build the deficit to 7-5, but rallied by sending seven hitters to the plate in the ninth and coming away with the win.
Ohio will aim to win its first series against Bowling Green since 2011 in Sunday’s 1 p.m. match at The Wren. Jake Rudnicki (2-2, 7.75 ERA) is expected to get the start for the Bobcats.
jh950614@ohio.edu
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