After allowing a boatload of runs in the first half of the season, Ohio's pitching staff has begun to captain the steadying ship.
The Bobcats' pitchers struggled throughout the early part of the season. In the team's first 25 games - 22 of them losses - the opponent scored double-digit runs 12 times. Often the runs piled up during the early innings, which made it tough for the Bobcats to come back.
Injuries to junior Jason Moulton and senior Bryce Butt left the Bobcats without their top two starting pitchers for much of the skid, which forced coach Joe Carbone to rely on his less experienced players on the mound.
Freshmen Ryan Bores, Seth Streich and Brock Trimbur, and sophomore Brent Choban all started at least three games on the mound this season to try to fill the void.
(The young players) were at the forefront
and a lot of those guys are very young and are just learning Carbone said. They were throwing in real pressure situations against real good teams like Vanderbilt.
Moulton and Butt returned to action in time for the Mid-American Conference season to start. During the past two weeks, the pitching staff responded.
During Ohio's current five-game winning streak, the Bobcats have allowed just 18 runs (3.6 runs per game) and yielded only two home runs.
You have to give a lot of credit to the coaches because they've given us a lot of advice on how to go out and pitch Streich said. The team's working hard
and we're all molding together right now.
Winning's contagious, and I think we can keep this (streak) rolling.
Carbone said the young pitchers gained experience that will help them as the season moves on.
Even though we didn't win the ball games, it was a learning experience, Carbone said. It's helped them understand they have to locate their fastball and they have to get their breaking ball and changeup over for a strike - they've learned that.
Playing young pitchers also gave Carbone a chance to see where everybody fits now that his top starters have returned.
Before we were just sticking guys out there and seeing what they could do and not knowing who had what role, Carbone said. We were just finding that out.
,",2,Sports,Vince Nairn,31334a.jpg,Ohio's Bryce Butt pitches to Western Michigan's Troy Forton at Bob Wren stadium Friday
April 9. The Bobcats beat Western Michigan 25-3.
