Joe Carbone had been reminded several times that his team hadn't won a series against rival Miami since 2002, but that was before this past weekend.
Maybe now
someone will say 'Hey Ohio won one
' Carbone joked after the Bobcats clinched the series victory with wins on Friday and Saturday before dropping yesterday's final game, 18-4.
The Bobcats found themselves in a jam early during Friday's series opener, as the first three RedHawks' hitters of the game loaded the bases off a single, walk and a hit batter.
Then, not wanting to pitch from behind again, starter Chris Rigo struck out three straight. He thought it might be his night.
I thought
'Well
if I can do that
why couldn't I have done that for those first three guys?' I just went after them
Rigo said.
The hit Rigo gave up to Miami's Evan Armitage in the first at-bat of the game turned out to be the only one he'd give up all night as he threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout to help the Bobcats jumpstart the series with a 9-0 victory over the RedHawks.
It felt a lot better to go out there and get some early runs and pitch with a lead
Rigo (2-3, 4.38 ERA) said of his second complete game of the year. His first came in a 2-0 loss to Eastern Michigan on April 13.
Ohio bats came to life on Friday, challenging Miami ace John Ely (7-3, 2.94 ERA) and his 90-mph-plus fastball by notching six runs on 10 hits.
Prior to the series, Carbone had told the Bobcats' hitters not to back down from the RedHawks pitching staff. They heeded his advice on Saturday as well, scoring all five runs off nine hits against Connor Graham (5-4, 4.41 ERA).
We said
'They're going to come right at you
' Carbone said. We've got to be aggressive on their fastball and take your rips because those guys are going to throw strikes. It's your strength against their strength.
After fighting back to tie the game 4-4 in the third inning Saturday, the Bobcats remained knotted with the RedHawks for four innings before catcher Chris Klimko got his only hit of the night in the eighth to score first baseman Marc Krauss and give the Bobcats a 5-4 lead.
John Angelicchi (1-1, 5.16 ERA) earned his first win of the season Saturday, throwing 2 and 1/3 no-hit innings in relief of starter Kevin Mementowski (3-2, 3.36 ERA), who struggled early with his breaking ball, giving up four runs, two earned, off 10 hits.
In yesterday's game, Miami scored six runs in each of the first three innings to take a commanding 18-2 lead. The Bobcats had committed three of their six total errors on the day by the end of the third.
Ohio starter Matt Schlarb (7-3, 4.58 ERA) took the loss and allowed the RedHawks' first 12 runs, all of which were unearned and came with two outs.
Andrew Shisila was the only one of Ohio's four pitchers who remained unscathed by Miami runs, as he allowed two hits in a career-long 6 and 2/3-inning outing.
I just came in and tried to stop the bleeding, Shisila said. (The loss) ends it on a sour note. Everyone was real high after the last two wins and, well, the scoreboard says it for itself.",",17,Archives,Katie Carrera,200705144430midsize.jpg,Ohio shortstop Zach Hartle makes a diving tag to put out Miami catcher Josh Hula in the sixth inning of Ohio's 5-4 victory over Miami on Saturday. The Bobcats claimed their first series victory from the Redhawks since 2002.,",",",","
20161,2007-05-14 06:10:00,Baseball: Bobcats win first series against Miami since 2002,",Joe Carbone had been reminded several times that his team hadn't won a series against rival Miami since 2002
