Yesterday started out with the Ohio baseball team learning that Anthony Gressick would not be pitching or playing in the outfield for the rest of the season, and ended with an 8-6 loss to Marshall.
First of all
we feel terrible for Anthony said Ohio coach Joe Carbone. This is a devastating blow to him. Anthony Gressick is an All-American type outfielder and pitcher. He's one of those special players and he's a special person.
Gressick injured his shoulder while sliding into second base during a pick-off attempt in the Michigan State series.
In three starts this year, the senior went 2-0 with a 3.60 earned run average and 18 strikeouts.
In ten starts last year, the right-hander was 3-3 and had a conference best 2.67 ERA. Gressick's pitching career comes to a close with an 8-5 record in 31 appearances and 15 starts with four saves. During his three years on the mound, Gressick compiled a 3.85 ERA and struck 101 opponents and walked 68.
He is also among Ohio's active career leaders in hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs.
Gressick said he is trying to stay positive and help the team to the best of his ability as the designated hitter.
I'm just going to try and focus on my hitting and put a little more work in on that as opposed to other things I was concentrating on earlier.
The Thundering Herd got on the board first, taking a 4-0 lead, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings.
Ohio took advantage of three walks and a hit batter to get a run back in the first inning.
After Marshall put up four more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, the Bobcats closed the gap to 8-4 in the sixth.
Gressick walked to start the inning and then advanced to second on Jon Vondrell's single. Willie Walker drove them home on a home run to right center field.
Walker brought the Bobcats within two in the Ohio seventh after Vondrell was hit by a pitch and then scored on Walker's second home run of the game.
I got in a count where I could be successful and so the pitcher had to come to me and I just took a big rip at it and sometimes good things happen with your swing Walker said of his at-bats. I got into a fastball count
so that's what I was still looking for and I got a fastball in both at-bats
so he came with what I was looking for.
Walker finished the night 3-for-3 with two walks and five RBIs.
For the next five innings, the Ohio pitchers kept Marshall off the board. The Bobcats had a chance to score in the bottom of the eighth with two runners on, but Willis struck out to end the Bobcat threat and went down in the ninth to end the game.
I thought we hung in there
Carbone said. I thought we were patient and I thought we got some runners on. We just couldn't come up with the big hit with two outs. We battled and battled and battled and we got to give their pitchers credit. They threw pretty well against us.
Zeke Isaacs (0-1) took the loss for the Bobcats.
Kurt Smith takes the mound today for Ohio against Cincinnati. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium.
17
Archives
Julie Goldberg
200604052592midsize.jpg
