Sports
Ohio Baseball Beats Buffalo On Ninth Inning Run
By: Eric Singer
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The Ohio Bobcats salvaged game three of their series with Buffalo Sunday, scoring the go-ahead run in the ninth inning of a 4-3 victory.
Freshman Connor Sitz gave the Bobcats (12-33, 7-14) a quality start, going 6.1 innings, only allowing two runs — both unearned — on five hits and striking out three. Buffalo’s Mike Burke (6-2) also had a good start, going eight innings, and giving up three runs on six hits. However both starters would end up getting no-decisions.
The Bobcats got on the board first, pushing across two runs in the third inning. Junior Chandler Geller led off the inning with a double into right field, and after a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Tyler Wells, scored off of an RBI-single from freshman Nate Squires. Two batters later, sophomore Jake Madsen ripped a double into right-center field, scoring Squires.
However, that lead would be shortlived.
Jim Topps led off the next inning for Buffalo (26-18, 15-5) with a single, and moved to second after a sacrifice bunt. Topps then scored after a throwing error from Ohio’s Ben Otto, and Buffalo’s Alex Baldock advanced to third on the error. Next batter Tyler Mautner grounded out to short, effectively scoring Baldock to tie the game at 2.
But two innings later, the Bobcats fought back to reclaim a 3-2 lead on an RBI-single from Wells, scoring Scott White.
After getting two quick outs in the eighth, senior Brett Barber allowed two Bulls players to reach base, one by a walk and the other on a hit-by-pitch. Next batter Thomas Richards ripped an RBI-single into right to tie the game at 3.
The back-and-forth game would continue into the ninth inning.
Ben Otto got hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and was followed up by a double from Kyle Dean.
Geller then came up with runners on second and third and no outs and smacked a sacrifice fly into left field, scoring Otto to give the Bobcats the lead back at 4-3.
Barber (1-6) picked up the win for Ohio, pitching 1.1 innings, while giving up one run. Senior River McWilliams (2-3) was credited with the loss for Buffalo, giving up one run in the ninth.
Ohio will next travel to Southwest Ohio Tuesday to face the Dayton Flyers. First pitch is at 4 p.m.