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[Andrew Rowan | WOUB]

Ohio losses series with EMU after struggles in Saturday doubleheader

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The Ohio Bobcats (7-19, 3-9 MAC) continued their weekend series with the Eastern Michigan Eagles (13-11, 8-4 MAC) Saturday with a doubleheader that began at noon. Both games would see the Eagles take control offensively, as they won both games 9-5 and 18-13 respectively. 

Game one

Ohio pitcher Hudson Boncal celebrating with catcher Jackson Cauthron.
Ohio pitcher Hudson Boncal celebrating with catcher Jackson Cauthron. [Reece Merkel | WOUB Public Media]
The first game didn’t see its first run until the third inning where with two men on base, Eagles’ John Hale grounded out on a fielder’s choice to allow a runner to advance to take the lead early on, 1-0 Eastern Michigan. The Bobcats answered back right away; however, freshman Matt Ineich hit a line drive to center field for an RBI single to tie it up. 

Ohio found some momentum in the bottom of the fourth, where they attempted some trickery when senior Jackson Cauthron attempted to steal second. With a missed catch by the shortstop, redshirt senior Nick Dolan was able to make his way home for a run. After a few at-bats, graduate student Trenton Neuer would drive in Cauthron with an effective bunt. Sophomore JR Nelson extended the inning with an RBI single to bring Neuer home. Nelson hit another RBI single in the sixth, that time allowing junior Dylan Shepherd to advance. 

The Bobcats kept the Eagles scoreless for another two innings but would see that end in the ninth, going on to give up 8 runs in the inning alone. With a man on, junior Ty Stecko sent one deep for a 2-run home run. Ohio proceeded to load the bases on two hit-by-pitches, allowing another run to score. Afterward, senior Logan Hugo hit a single that fell into the corner of left field to allow another two runners to advance, taking the lead 6-5. Sophomore Ben Scheterman and Stecko 2 more RBIs, tacking on yet another 3 runs.  

Dolan and sophomore Ben Slanker both singled to center field to put the Bobcats into scoring position to take back the lead but were unable to make anything out of it and would take the loss 9-5. 

Game two

The Eagles wasted no time tallying up runs by continuing their offensive onslaught as in the first, junior Devan Zirwas would hit an RBI single to take first blood. With runners at the corners, senior Brendan Kleiman drove in Zirwas with another RBI single to left field, bringing the score to 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, Matt Ineich would get his team on the board with a solo home-run, to make it 4-1 Eagles. 

With a combination of hit-by-pitches and sacrifice hits, the Eagles would tally on another four turns in the third, which afterwards Hugo smoked a two-run home-run, 10-1 Eagles.  

The Bobcats rallied back in the bottom of the fourth. Graduate student Blake Reed started things off with a solo homer, followed by an RBI-double from sophomore Pauly Mancino, then Slanker hit an absolute rocket over the right field wall for a home-run to bring them down by only one at 10-9. 

With still plenty left in their tanks, plus Ohio making crucial defensive mistakes, Eastern Michigan was able to pile on another 6 runs through having the bases loaded and hitting more RBI’s, finishing the night with a total of 18. 

Similar to game one, the Bobcats would try to come back, being able to scrape together three extra runs in the bottom of the eighth but to no avail, losing with a final score of 18-13, giving the Eagles the series win 2-1. Ohio will have a chance to bounce back next week, where they are scheduled to face off against Morehead State on Tuesday at 5 p.m.