The Ohio baseball team defeated Pittsburgh 5-4 last night to extend its record to 12-2 in mid-week contests.
Starting pitcher John Angelicchi (3-0) went two-thirds innings for Ohio (23-19-1 overall, 8-8-1 Mid-American Conference). Angelicchi gave up one run and one hit, and also hit a batter.
Ohio fell behind early in the first inning when Angelicchi gave up a lead-off double to start the inning. The runner eventually scored courtesy of a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly, allowing Pittsburgh (24-18 overall) to take an early 1-0 advantage.
Pitcher Zeke Isaacs entered the game to relieve Angelicchi in the first.
Right fielder Phil Sabatini hit a home run for the second consecutive day -a solo shot to left -tying the score 1-1 in the second for Ohio. Sabatini added a double in the eighth to finish the day 2-4.
During the bottom of the second inning Pittsburgh scored two more runs on two hits and one Ohio error to take a 3-1 lead.
Pittsburgh carried its lead into the fifth inning, but Ohio tagged Panther reliever Jeff Barnyak for two runs to tie the game at 3-3.
Willie Walker began the inning with a walk, followed by a Jon Vondrell single. Bryant Witt moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Then, both Walker and Vondrell scored on an error made by the Panther third baseman when Dusty Hammond put the ball in play, tying the game.
Ohio took its first lead of the game in the seventh to go ahead 5-3 courtesy of another Pittsburgh error.
Vondrell hit a lead-off double and was once again moved over by a Witt sacrifice bunt. Vondrell scored on an error by the pitcher after Bryan Buck made contact while Buck moved to second, eventually driven home on an RBI single by Anthony Gressick.
Isaacs exited the game after six innings of pitching in the bottom of the seventh and gave way to reliever Yale Silverman.
Pittsburgh rallied during the eighth inning to close the gap to 5-4 on a RBI single.
However, Silverman escaped the inning and finished the ninth to seal the victory for Ohio.
Ohio next plays 7 p.m. Friday when the Bobcats host Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) for the first of a three-game weekend series.
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Nick Brockman
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Ohio University second baseman Dusty Hammond tags out a Rio Grande base runner in a 13-5 win at Bob Wren Stadium Monday night.
