Sports
Ohio takes Game One of Weekend Series Against BGSU
By: Mary Ryznar
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Ohio baseball (20-23, 7-9 MAC) took the first of three games against Bowling Green State University after defeating the Falcons 9-1 in game one of the weekend series.
The Bobcats showed up at the plate today knowing in nine hits and nine runs against BG.
Sophomore first baseman Rudy Rott nailed his first career grand slam to add onto his career high of earning 10 homeruns of the 2017 season along with hitting a double and matching his career high with six RBIs.
Junior right fielder Tony Giannini went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and senior second baseman Ty Black walked twice and scored three of Ohio’s nine runs along with reaching base safely in now twenty straight games.
Senior third baseman Connor Callery went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scoring two runs along with adding to the team high of hitting safely sixteen games straight ranking Ohio’s longest hitting streak of the 2017 season.
Senior center fielder Spencer Ibarra continues to thrive at bat going 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and has tallied a team-high of nineteen multi-hit games along with ranking in second behind Callery in hitting safely. Ibarra has also reached base safely in fourteen straight games.
However, it was not only the batting that earned the win for the Bobcats.
Redshirt junior left handed pitcher Gerry Salisbury started on the mound for Ohio for seven innings only allowing one run on four hits, a walk, and striking out seven batters. Salisbury earned the win for the Bobcats improving his record 2-3.
Redshirt junior Cory Blessing relieved Salisbury and went 1.1 innings striking out three batters until he was relieved by senior southpaw Matt Mikolajczak who struck out one batter to help earn the final two outs of the game.
It was in the second inning that Ohio took an early lead after Callery singled to the center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior left fielder Evan Bourn. A double to the right from Giannini sent Callery home earning the first run.
Ohio added their second run to the board after Black drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a walk by Rott and third on a single by resdhirt junior designated hitter Michael Klein and then scored on an RBI by Callery.
It was in the fourth inning that the Bobcats jumped up to a 6-0 lead. The bases were loaded after senior catcher Anthony Mrosla earned a one-out walk and senior shortstop Tyler Finkler and Black were both hit by pitches. A grand slam over the fence from Rott sent all of the runners home earning four runs for Ohio.
It was not over yet as the Bobcats plated two more runs in the the bottom half of the sixth after Ibarra knocked out a two-out infield single then scored on a double by Rott.
Ohio tallied their ninth and final run in the seventh after Callery doubled to the right setting him up to later score on a single by Giannini.
This weekend series at Bob Wren will continue as Ohio goes up against Bowling Green again on Saturday (May 6) at 3 p.m.