Ohio faltered against Kent State this weekend, dropping two out of three games and missing an opportunity to claim sole possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division.
The Bobcats picked up a 7-2 win Friday before losing both the Saturday and yesterday's games 6-5.
Yesterday's game was another extra-inning affair for the team, going 11 innings deep. It was the third time Ohio has played beyond regulation this season.
Kevin Mementowski took the mound for the Bobcats in the bottom of the 11th with the score tied at five runs. With a runner on first and one out, KSU's Jason Patton grounded into a potential inning-ending double play, but an Ohio error allowed Patton to reach base and Brett Weibley to advance to third. Chris Tremblay followed with the game-winning single.
Mementowski took the loss despite working 4 and 1/3 innings from the bullpen and allowing only the winning run. He drops to 1-4 for the year.
The offense slowed during the weekend, failing to score 10 runs over a three-game period for the first time since a three-game streak during April 1-5. Marc Krauss, however, continued to lead the team with a 4-of-5 performance yesterday, highlighted by two doubles. On Friday, Gauntlett Eldemire and Zach Hartle connected for a three-run homer and two-run shot to jumpstart the offense.
Friday also provided the Ohio pitching staff with a noteworthy performance for the first time in awhile. Chris Rigo allowed two runs on nine hits in a complete-game win that improved his record to 4-2 on the season. His four wins left him tied with Matt Smith for team lead.
The pitching staff was up to its old tricks on Saturday. Zach Elmer started things off right for the Bobcats, working 5 and 2/3 innings and giving up four runs. The Bobcats took a 5-4 lead into the eighth inning before the game unraveled. Greg Rohan hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the inning put the Golden Flashes on top, and Ohio was unable to mount a rally in the ninth.
Ohio falls to 20-22 on the season with the loss and 9-9 in the Mid American Conference. Kent State extended its lead to 1.5 over the Bobcats, holding a 24-17 overall record and a 9-6 mark in the conference.
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Dylan Scott
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Ohio's Jason Selhorst slides into the third base during Tuesday nights' game against Cincinnati.
