Sports
Late Inning Runs Doom Ohio
By: Nick Ursini
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After being swept by Ohio in 2016, Morehead State turned the tables on the Bobcats with a 3-1 victory at Bob Wren on Tuesday night.
Nick Kamrada got the start for Ohio, but only pitched two innings. Kamrada finished with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits on nine batters faced.
Cory Blessing came in for Kamrada and continued to stifle the Eagles’ bats. Blessing exited after three innings of work, allowing two hits while striking out five batters.
Morehead State had runners on second and third with two down before Ty Black robbed Ryan Kent with a diving catch to keep the game scoreless in the second inning.
The Bobcats broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning.
First basemen Rudy Rott slapped a single to left field with one out. Rott advanced to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice.
Connor Callery hit a dribbler to the shortstop who could not field the ball cleanly as Rott crossed the plate.
However, one run was all Ohio could muster up after Evan Bourn flew out to centerfield, leaving the bases loaded.
After stellar relief from Kenny Ogg and Logan Jacik, The Eagles finally jumped on Tom Colletti in the eighth inning.
Kent singled to left to start the inning. Then Colletti recorded two outs before giving up a two-out, two-run homer to Niko Hulsizer.
The Eagles added another in the top of the ninth to go along with their ten hits on the day.
With the win, Morehead State increases their record to 14-6.
Despite the late loss, Ohio coach Rob Smith was pleased with his effort from his pitchers. “I thought we didn’t give up any free bases, we didn’t walk anybody, we didn’t hit anybody and even in the eighth inning it took two hits to score those runs. I’m not disappointed with that at all, we do that in a lot of games, we will win a lot of games.”
Leading Ohio was second basemen Ty Black, who went 3-for-4, and Rudy Rott went 2-for-3 with the lone run scored.
Ohio gets two days off before returning to Bob Wren for the start of a three-game series against the Butler Bulldogs (12-7).
The Bulldogs and Bobcats have already faced each other twice earlier in the year. Butler bested the Bobcats 15-4 in the first matchup, then Ohio blanked Butler 4-0 in the second.
“They’ll (Butler) be a scrappy team, they are playing well and we’ll have our hands full.”
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.