Last week, Ohio had a rough series against Campbell, losing all three games. This week, Ohio went up against the University of Illinois Chicago in its first home series of the year.
The first game of the series was postponed due to weather, making Saturday a doubleheader. Ohio’s offense was silenced in the first game, scoring no runs while allowing five. In the second game, Ohio’s offense was still subpar, but it did enough to win. Good pitching kept UIC’s offense silent, allowing only two runs. Ohio would go on to win game two by a final of 3-2.
First Game
The first game of the doubleheader was not in Ohio’s favor. The Bobcats tallied eight hits but could not capitalize on any scoring opportunities.
There were no extra-base hits in the game for the Bobcats, while the Flames had three, all being home runs.
Senior Jacob Tate was the starter for game one, his third start this season. The redshirt senior pitched for four innings, walking five batters with one strikeout.
Most of the damage against Tate came in the third inning, where UIC senior Zane Zielinski hit a 2-run home run, driving in Carson Roberts, who was hit by a pitch in the previous at-bat.
“We didn’t get off to a great start from that (pitching) standpoint,“ Ohio coach Craig Moore said. "A little bit too many freebies and walks and hit by pitch."
Graduate student Tim Knapschaefer came in to relieve Tate in the fifth inning. Knapschaefer’s first inning started rough, allowing a solo home run to AJ Henkle, his second of the game. However, Knapschaefer finished the game strong allowing no runs after this.
Second Game
Ohio started the second game of the day with a bang. After fifth-year senior Alex Finney hit a single to start the game, freshman Pauly Mancino hit a 2-run homerun.
However, this was all Ohio’s offense could produce until the seventh inning, going one-two-three every inning from the first till the seventh.
Junior Blake Gaskey started the game for the Bobcats allowing just one run. Gaskey would leave the game in the sixth inning and be relieved by junior Zach Weber.
UIC’s offense had a silent game after the third inning, not scoring until the seventh, where baserunner, Zielinski would get to third base after stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher, Finney. Henkle hit Zielinski home after grounding out to second base.
The game was tied going into the bottom of the seventh, where senior Gideon Antle would lead off for the Bobcats. Antle hit a solo home run to left-center to take the lead.
“Almost every time I hit a home run, I’m kind of blacking out ... I was pretty pumped up,” Antle said.
Weber stayed on the mound after allowing a run in the seventh and went into the ninth with a 1-run lead. Weber would get the first two batters of the ninth out but let the next two batters reach base by way of a single and a walk. Weber would get the final batter of the game to ground out to second baseman Billy Adams, ending the game in favor of Ohio.
“I was just in attack the whole time, just laying my sliders trying to get in the zone,” Weber said. “My fastball really kept me in and kept me locked in through all my outing.”
Weber was credited for the win in the game, his second of the season.
ls705922@ohio.edu
