Sports
Bobcats Prevail in Extras over Wright State
By: Nick Ursini
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It might have taken 11 innings, but Ohio (8-6) took game two of the series against the Wright State Raiders 4-3 Friday afternoon.
Ohio finally broke the 3-3 tie in the eleventh inning for the eventual game-winner. Michael Klein drew a walk to lead-off the inning. Tyler Finkler popped out to third, but Mateus Vakuda, who pinch ran for Klein advanced to second on a throwing error by the third basemen. Vakuda advanced to third on a wild pitch and with two outs, Tony Giannini doubled to left-center, scoring Vakuda.
Ohio’s closer Jake Roehn surrendered a leadoff double in the bottom of the eleventh but got a ground-out, pop-out then a fly-out to leave the tying run 90 feet away.
The Raiders (9-6) jumped on Ohio starter Butch Baird early with a quick run in the bottom of the first inning. But, the Bobcats drew even in the top half of the second.
Finkler led off with a single then stole second and third. Connor Callery came to the plate and singled to second base, scoring Finkler. Wright State doubled Ohio’s run with two of their own in the third.
Baird tossed six innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits while striking out seven. Ohio clawed their way back from a two-run deficit with one run in the sixth and another in the seventh.
First basemen Rudy Rott reached base after being hit by a pitch. Klein roped a double down the left-field line, sending Rott to third. Ty Black singled to left field, scoring Rott and cutting the Raiders lead to just one run.
In the seventh, Devon Garcia walked with one out. Spencer Ibarra reached on a fielder’s choice and Garcia advanced to third on a throwing error by the first basemen. Nick Bredeson grounded out to shortstop, but Garcia scampered home to tie the game a three apiece.
After Jake Rudnicki came in and threw a scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth inning, Roehn came in to pitch with the score still deadlocked at 3-3 and heading to extra-innings. Rudnicki allowed five hits but stifled the Raiders chance of taking the lead back, working out of jams in the seventh and ninth innings where he allowed two singles.
The Bobcats were outhit 9-6 in the game but got the hits when they needed them most. Callery finished 2-for-5 with one RBI and Giannini went 1-for-4 with the biggest RBI of the game.
The Bobcats get Saturday off before returning to the diamond to face the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks ( 0-11). First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.