Bobcat outfielder Willie Walker picked up the Ohio baseball team with his bat again as he helped the Bobcats to a thrilling 7-6 win against West Virginia last night at Bob Wren Stadium.
The Bobcats were down to their final out when Walker stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. With a RBI single, he drove in both Anthony Gressick and Bryant Witt to give Ohio (11-14) its first three-game winning streak of the season.
I was just going out there looking for a fast ball and it was a little high
but I was ready for it Walker said. I just put a decent swing on it and it just fell in there.
The game was scoreless until the Bobcats' third inning. Dusty Hammond led off the inning with his first triple of the season and later scored on a passed ball to give Ohio an early lead.
However, the Mountaineers took a 4-1 lead in their next at-bat. After the first three West Virginia batters reached base, Ohio starter Yale Silverman got two quick outs and looked like he was going to get out of the inning unharmed, but a Bobcat error allowed West Virginia to take the lead.
The Ohio bats responded in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. After Hayden Johnston was hit by a pitch and Hammond walked, Chris Klimko hit his first-career home run to tie the score at four runs a piece.
Klimko, who has three hits in his last two games, said he is finally starting to see the ball better at the plate.
Today I saw the ball perfect got the pitch I wanted and got a pretty good piece of the ball
he said.
Ohio took a 5-4 lead in the seventh, before West Virginia scored two runs off Bobcat reliever Chris Rigo in the top of the ninth.
Rigo picked up his first save after Walker's heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
I thought we beat a real good team
Ohio coach Joe Carbone said. I think West Virginia is a NCAA regional type team. They've got some big guys. They've got some power. They've got a good infield. They've got a good outfield. They have a deep pitching staff
so we were very fortunate to beat a very good team tonight.
Ohio returns to Mid-American Conference play this weekend when theywelcome Eastern Michigan to Bob Wren Stadium.
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