Sports
Ohio Baseball splits high-scoring doubleheader with Kent State on Saturday
By: Darayus Sethna
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) –– It was a cold, cloudy and windy day in Athens Saturday when the Ohio Bobcats played host to the Kent State Golden Flashes for an afternoon doubleheader at Bob Wren Stadium. The two teams faced off against one another the day before. Ohio came out with a victory, led in part my redshirt freshman A.J. Rausch’s two home runs en route to a 9-4 victory.
But Saturday’s circumstances were a bit different. Not only was the weather more uncooperative, but each team would be in for a much heavier physical load as they had to play two games in the span of about six hours.
The first game of the day was only seven innings and saw a high-powered offensive display. Ohio and Kent State combined for a grand total of nine runs in the second inning, six of which were scored by the Bobcats. In fact, Ohio was able to take a 6-4 lead after two innings but gave it up just one inning later when Kent State tacked on two runs in the frame.
The Golden Flashes never looked back from then on.
After scoring those two runs to tie the game, the visitors scored five runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh. Kent State won the first game by a final score of 14-7.
On the bright side, Ohio still had a chance for redemption in the tail end of the doubleheader, which was scheduled to be played at the accustomed nine-innings. Offensive firepower was once again the key factor that led to a strong start for both teams. In the opening inning, the Bobcats scored three runs, only to be met with four runs scored in that same frame by the visitors. Ohio was eventually able to take an 11-6 lead after six inning of play. But in the closing moments, with the Bobcats up by four, it was fifth year Chace Harris who put on a masterclass from the pitching mound to lock up a 16-12 win over the Golden Flashes.
A player who set the tone all afternoon for the Bobcats was Mason Minzey, who scored a total of four runs combined in the two games Saturday.
“Mason has done a great job with the weekends thus far,” Ohio head coach Craig Moore said. “He’s a switch hitter so he’s able to do it from both sides of the plate. And when he’s on, he’s a good hitter. One of the better ones in the conference.”
But it is not only on the field where Minzey shines, but also off it— with his tremendous leadership abilities. He talked about how he appreciated the motivation of the younger players on the roster.
“We’ve got a lot of really young guys that want to be good in this program and I think it’s easy to be able to play with them,” Minzey said.
Even with the challenging weather conditions, Ohio ultimately overcame the odds to bring home an important victory in the second leg of the doubleheader. Fifth year Bobcat Isaiah Peterson gave his perspective on Saturday’s circumstances.
“I’ll be completely honest… in my college career, this is probably the most explosive game offensively I’ve seen and I’ve been a part of,” Peterson said.
Although the 16-12 final score is not one fans encounter when they attend most baseball games, for the Ohio Bobcats, a win is a win. Overall, Craig Moore’s team combined for 23 runs in Saturday’s games.
The Bobcats improve to an overall record of 9-7, with a 3-2 record in MAC play. Ohio and Kent State will battle it out for one more game on Sunday afternoon to end the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium.