Sports
Baseball: Heartbreaking Game Two Loss Highlights Split Doubleheader
By: Alex Hider
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Ohio baseball’s streak of four consecutive MAC series wins was broken on Sunday when it split a double header with Bowling Green.
After a controversial loss to Bowling Green (18-245, 7-11) Friday night, Ohio (23-20, 12-6 MAC) left no doubt in game one with an 11-0 victory. Starting pitcher Jason Moulton threw a complete game shut out, giving up eight hits and striking out six.
Already leading 4-0, the floodgates opened for the Bobcats in the top of the ninth. After all was said and done, Ohio had scored seven runs on six hits and two Falcon errors. At one point, six straight Ohio batters reached base, resulting in 5 runs.
But the game ball went to Moulton, who improved to 5-2 on the season with the win. The shut out did not come easy, as he stranded 10 Falcons on the base paths.
But game two was a different story. Tyler Stage’s wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth gave Bowling Green an 8-7 win in a crazy game that featured six lead changes.
Trailing 5-1 in the seventh inning, a Scott White sacrifice fly and a Jake Newton RBI set the stage for Tyler Wells. Wells’ three-run homer, his sixth hit in the doubleheader, gave Ohio its first lead of the day at 6-5.
Bowling Green answered in the bottom of the 8th, as TJ Losby’s double into the left-center field gap pushed two runs across. The Falcons were only three outs away from victory.
But second baseman Ian Mezlak led off the ninth with a single and advanced to second on Garrett Black’s sacrifice bunt. Ethan Newton singled home Mezlak and advanced to third on an error.
But Ohio could not get Newton home. Tyler Wells’ fly ball to right was not deep enough, and Falcon right fielder Jesse Rait’s snipe of a throw caught Newton at the plate.
Stage came on to pitch the ninth for Ohio, and gave up two quick singles. After an intentional walk to load the bases, catcher Cody Gaertner could not handle Stage’s pitch, and Bowling Green’s Fred Sharp crossed home for the winning run.
After dropping two of three to the Falcons, Ohio now trails division leader Kent State (15-3 MAC) by three games. Ohio will travel home to take on Pittsburgh on Tuesday.