Sports
Alabama State Drops Ohio Thanks to Huge Third Inning
By: Nick Ursini
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The Alabama State Hornets (3-6) exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the third to beat Ohio (5-4), 12-6 Tuesday afternoon.
Starting pitcher Nick Kamrada pitched just two innings, allowing one hit with no runs.
Logan Jacik relieved Kamrada in the third inning but Ohio was in for a rude awakening. Jacik surrendered a lead-off single to Gustavo Rios, but recovered with a 6-4-3 double play.
Then, the Hornets scored 10 runs, all with two outs.
Back-to-back walks got the rally started for Alabama State. From there, back-to-back-to-back singles from Carlos Ocasio, Ray Hernandez and Chris Biocic got the hit-parade started and the runs flowing for the Hornets.
Jacik was chased out of the game after only 0.2 innings pitched. He allowed six earned runs on four hits with three walks.
Christian Botter came in for relief but found the same trouble as Jacik. Botter surrendered four more runs on four hits with two walks.
Hornets starting pitcher, Burke Echelmeier, was not lights-out himself but kept the Bobcat bats in check.
Echelmeier tossed 7.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and struck out four Bobcats.
The big inning was just too much for Ohio to recover from. However, if you look at Ohio’s box-score, their stats were not all bad.
Ohio scored six runs on 10 hits and just one error. But, the ‘Cats didn’t get their bats working till the eighth inning, where they crossed the plate five times.
Gus Cunningham walked with one out to get things rolling for Ohio. Devon Garcia singled and shortstop Tyler Finkler singled through the right side, scoring both Cunningham and Garcia.
The Bobcats continued as first baseman Rudy Rott smashed a single into center field for an RBI. After Michael Klein reached on a fielders-choice, Ty Black singled to third scoring Finkler. Connor McMann then singled to left-center, scoring Klein, and cut the lead to 12-5 after Alabama State added one more runs in the fifth and the sixth.
Rott led the ‘Cats in hits, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Finkler went 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Bobcats return to the diamond Friday for a three-game series against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Bowling Green, Ky.
First pitch is set for 4 p.m. on Friday.