Sports
Ohio Baseball’s rally comes up short in loss to Toledo
By: Bryan Kurp
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The Bobcats are known to make late-game comebacks and they almost pulled another one off Saturday.
Ohio trailed by as many as seven runs in its matchup with Toledo but went on the comeback trail. It scored one run in the sixth, two in the seventh and another run in the eighth to enter the ninth inning down three runs.
The Bobcats had a prime opportunity for some late-game heroics for the second-straight night. They had the bases loaded with one out following two walks and a single.
Toledo’s closer Kyle Pijaszek slammed the door though with a strikeout of Isaiah Peterson then AJ Rausch flew out to right field to end the game.
The Rockets (14-15, 8-9 MAC) escape with an 11-8 victory over Ohio (12-13, 6-8 MAC).
“We didn’t start off well defensively and in the middle part of the game, we didn’t get the pitching execution we needed in terms of holding the lead to 6-4 instead of letting it expand to 11-4,” Ohio head coach Craig Moore said.
Hudson Boncal started his second career start for the Bobcats and had a rough outing. The freshman allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits while walking three batters.
Collin Sells relieved Boncal in the third and allowed five runs on four hits and four walks in his two innings of work.
Adam Beery relieved Sells in the fifth inning and, from that point on, the Rockets were stymied by the Bobcats’ young arms.
The Bobcats’ rally wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Beery and Luke Borer.
Beery pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed just one baserunner on a walk.
Borer entered for his first collegiate appearance in the seventh and dazzled in his debut. Borer did not allow any hits and his only baserunner came on a walk in the eighth inning.
“It felt really good,” Borer said of his first-career outing. “I just wanted to help the team get a win so just wanted to do my part.”
“Luke did great. He competed and attacked the zone and that’s what you have to do,” Moore said.
The Bobcats’ bats collected 16 hits in the game. AJ Rausch collected three of those hits while Mason Minzey, Michael Richardson and Harrison Johnson each picked up a pair of hits.
The only homerun for the Bobcats came from Spencer Harbert in the first inning. Harbert, Richardson and Isaiah Peterson each collected two RBIs in the game.
The Bobcats and Rockets are set to close out their weekend series with a twin bill on Sunday. Game one is going to be seven innings followed by game two, which will be a full nine-inning ballgame.
The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. from Bob Wren Stadium.