The first weekend of Mid-American Conference play produced a Bobcat win but showed plenty of room for offensive improvement.
Ohio (3-17, 1-2 MAC) took the second contest of a three-game series against Ball State (8-15, 2-1 MAC) to earn its first win in nine games.
The Bobcats opened the weekend with a lopsided 10-1 loss to the Cardinals, who piled 16 hits against Ohio pitchers Seth Streich and Ben Trimbur.
Ball State was hitting some of (Streich's) good pitches
said coach Joe Carbone. He just didn't have the location he's used to having.
Ball State got on the board in the second inning before notching four runs in the fourth. Shortstop T.J. Baumet drove in two runs with a first-pitch single up the middle. Designated hitter Blake Beemer went yard on Streich's next offering to drive home Baumet.
Beemer and Baumet finished with a combined five hits and six RBIs.
The Cardinals added five more runs in the final four innings to seal the win.
Ohio's only run came in the fifth inning. Catcher Kris McDonough scored on second baseman Zack Keen's groundout.
Perci Garner (2-0) pitched five innings of three-hit baseball to earn the win.
He's throwing a good fastball and he had a good breaking ball going Carbone said. He had us off balance.
The teams split Saturday's doubleheader with Ohio, taking the opener, 4-2.
Outfielders Gauntlett Eldemire and Robert Maddox III accounted for five of the Bobcats' 11 hits to lead the offensive charge.
They did the kind of job they've been doing all year
Carbone said.
Eldemire hit in the leadoff spot in a successful attempt to spark the lineup. He led off the first with a base hit and scored on Bryan Barnes' first-pitch single. Maddox then singled to score right fielder Matt Keller.
Eldemire slugged a two-run homer to right field in the seventh inning.
Brock Trimbur pitched four innings, allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts. Bryce Butt pitched five innings in relief for the win.
We weren't worried (about bullpen depth) once we got to the second game because those two guys saved everybody
Carbone said.
The Cardinals held the Bobcats scoreless in the rubber match to pick up a 4-0 win.
Pitcher Kolbrin Vitek singled and scored in the first inning. Ball State added two runs in the third and another in the sixth to pad its lead en route to the win.
Vitek (1-2) hurled seven innings of two-hit ball while striking out five and walking none to earn the victory. He was also 2-4 from the plate.
He had all three pitches working
Carbone said. He had a great change-up going
good location on the fastball
also a good slider.
Ohio's Michael Dillon (0-3) allowed three runs on four hits in two and one-third innings of work. Rex Ingham gave up one run on three hits in six and two-thirds innings of relief.
Ohio had not been shut out at Bob Wren Stadium since losing 3-0 to Vanderbilt May 18, 2005.
The Bobcats managed only six combined hits in their two losses this weekend.
Guys try to do too much sometimes
Carbone said. You try to do more than what you're capable of.
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