Sports

 

Senior Jason Moulton earned his fourth win of the season while Tyler Stage closed out the contest for his first save.

 

In a game that was delayed three hours due to rain and featured temperatures barely breaking 45 degrees, Ohio’s bats remained hot. Freshman Tyler Wells continued his success at the plate for the Bobcats, going 2-for-4 with two singles and one RBI. 

 

Third baseman Dan Schmidt also provided a spark for Ohio, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI. First baseman Jake Madsen had two RBIs.

 

Buffalo put Ohio on its heels, surging late in the game with three runs in the sixth. Matt Pollock blasted a two-run homerun deep to right field after Jon Mestas drove in the first Buffalo run.

 

That, however, was the closest the Bulls got to the lead as Ohio’s bullpen blanked the Bulls in the final three innings.

 

Ohio padded its lead in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring one run in each frame. Schmidt brought in Wells on an RBI single in the fifth.

 

The Bobcats’ offense, however, was somewhat stymied in the fifth inning. Ohio loaded the bases with one out in the inning, but failed to score more than the one run. Ohio stranded three runners at inning’s end.

 

Sophomore Garrett Black contributed with a sacrifice to the shortstop to bring in Ian Mezlak after he led off the inning with a double.

 

Ohio’s true offensive outburst of the game came in the third when it busted the game open after two scoreless innings to start. 

 

Doug Holmes led off the inning with a single. One fielder’s choice later, Wells drove in Holmes with an RBI single. Jensen Painter cracked a double in the gap allowing Madsen to reel in his pair of RBIs on a single.

 

To start the game, Buffalo appeared to be the superior offensive squad. The same could be said, perhaps, for the duration of the game. The Bulls cranked out 12 hits in the contest and gave Moulton fits in the first three innings.

 

Buffalo grabbed two hits in the top of the first, but could not bring home a run. Again in the second, the Bulls led off with a double but could not plate any runs.

 

Buffalo had perhaps its best chance in the third when it loaded the bases with no outs. Moulton gave his best Houdini impression by getting out of the jam unscathed, thanks in large part to the arm of Painter.

 

What seemed like a routine sacrifice fly by Buffalo catcher Tom Murphy turned into a double play after Painter sniped Pollock at the plate from right field.

 

Although he may give thanks to Painter’s arm for getting him out of that jam, Moulton pitched a solid outing on his own. 

 

The starter from Toledo finished the game with five strikeouts while allowing only three earned runs. Moulton’s ERA came to a rest at 2.41, good for second on Ohio’s team behind reliever Shane Cole.

 

The win brings Ohio to 21-7 overall and 10-4 in the MAC. Ohio remains one game behind Kent State for first place in the conference. 

 

The Bobcats have one more shot at Buffalo Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.