On paper, it looks like Ohio's 5-4, 13-inning win over Youngstown State turned out just fine. But beneath the surface, there were some problems in the game that the Bobcats struggled to overcome.
For one, there were the 14 runners Ohio stranded. It's been a theme all season that the Bobcats have struggled to hit when it matters. Coach Joe Carbone acknowledged this after the game.
"We've been leaving runners on base the whole year," Carbone said. "We're just not there to being an oustanding college hitting team. We just need a lot of work, a lot of swings, more recognition of pitches. We're just not there yet. There's no one answer."
Second baseman Wes O'Neill was left on base three times yesterday at Bob Wren Stadium. He went 2-3, and three of Ohio's eight walks came from him.
"I saw the ball pretty well today," O'Neill said. "I was just trying to have a good two-strike approach, and pretty much lay off anything that he was trying to get me to chase.
"I felt great today."
