Sports
Ohio Baseball: Rott, Bobcats make history against Miami, but season ends with loss to NIU
By: Bryan Kurp
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AVON, Ohio – The Bobcats had to win two games Friday to keep their hopes of a MAC Tournament title alive.
In the first game, Ohio (20-34) defeated Miami (OH) (37-19) with a score of 6-5 in a game that lasted 17 innings, which is the longest in MAC Tournament history.
Senior Rudy Rott made history for Ohio by breaking the all-time hits record with his first single of the day and hit No. 287. Rott finished 4-for-8 in the first game.
The Bobcats’ pitching staff was stellar. Joe Rock started the game and allowed two runs on six hits in six innings pitched. Brett Manis relieved Rock and pitched six innings. Manis only allowed one run on three hits while striking out nine batters. Jack Liberatore (8-5) was credited with the win. He pitched four innings out of the bullpen and did not allow a run or a hit.
The RedHawks took the early lead in the second inning with a Mackay Williams sacrifice bunt to score Jordan Stephens. Reid Norberg scored later in the inning on a throwing error on his attempted steal at third base to give Miami a 2-0 lead.
Ohio evened the score in the fifth inning. Trevor Lukkes scored the Bobcats’ first run on a throwing error. Later in the inning, Aaron Levy walked to tie the game at two, and it stayed tied for a while.
The Bobcats finally broke the tie in the 12th inning. Sebastian Fabik scored on a throwing error. However, Miami tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly hit by Landon Stephens.
Ohio took the lead once again in the 17th inning on a Zyon Avery sacrifice fly to score Tanner Piechnick. Sebastian Fabik added two more runs with a two-run single to give Ohio a 6-3 lead.
The RedHawks scored twice in the bottom of the inning, but Ohio survived.
Less than an hour later, the Bobcats began their second game of the day and their season ended with a 6-3 loss to Northern Illinois (20-35).
Rudy Rott finished his Ohio career with a 3-for-5 day and an RBI. Ryan Sargent also added two hits and an RBI.
Sargent got the Bobcats on the board in the second inning with a groundout to first that scored Sebastian Fabik.
Zyon Avery scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning to make the score 2-0.
However, the Huskies responded with one run in the sixth and five runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Tommy Szczasny three-run home run to right field. Northern Illinois held the 6-2 lead into the final inning.
Rudy Rott singled home his final RBI with Ohio in the ninth inning, but Northern Illinois ended the Bobcats’ 2019 season.
Rott finished the season with a .382 average with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He ended his career with 293 hits, .339 average, 39 homers and 186 RBI.
Ohio finished the 2019 season with a 20-34 record and a 12-14 conference record.