Since the second game of a doubleheader on March 9, Ohio has won one game.
The Bobcats’ losing streak stretched to ten games with a 5-4 loss on Sunday at Akron, which completed a three-game sweep and pushed Ohio to lose for the 19th time in its last 20 attempts.
“We’ve just got to focus on playing better as a team,” coach Rob Smith said.
After losing the first two games by a combined score of 15-1, Ohio started out the game with a bang.
Left fielder Chandler Geller reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Akron pitcher Myles McVeigh. Junior first baseman Jake Madsen followed in the next at-bat with a single up the middle, scoring Geller.
Madsen then advanced to second on a passed ball and sophomore John Adryan walked. Junior right fielder Tyler Wells then ripped a double to right, scoring both Madsen and Adryan and providing sophomore starting pitcher Jake Miller with an early three-run cushion.
Akron tacked on an unearned run in the bottom half of the second, but Ohio answered in the top of the fourth with three consecutive two-out hits by Madsen, Adryan and Wells scoring the Bobcats’ fourth run of the afternoon.
Wells had one of his strongest performances of the season at the plate, going three for five with three runs batted in.
“I’ve been struggling the last couple games and I was just trying to go in with a clear mind, forgetting what was going on the past couple of days,” Wells said. “I got up with runners in scoring position and good opportunities to put the ball in play and hits started falling for me.”
Miller put on a solid show on the mound, save for a rough fourth inning.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Miller allowed three-straight one-out singles that loaded the bases. He followed that up with two wild pitches during one at-bat that allowed Akron to plate two runs.
The righthander, who entered the game with a 9.71 ERA, pitched six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Smith said he hopes the slump that had plagued Miller earlier in the season is finally wearing off.
“(Miller) gave the team a chance to win and that’s all we could ask of him,” Smith said. “He was very aggressive and his velocity was up. His presence was as good as we’ve seen it this year, so hopefully that’ll continue.”
Akron would finish its comeback in the seventh, jumping on freshman righthander Nick Nauracy who allowed a hit and three walks in two thirds of an inning of work.
That was the turning point of the game, Smith said.
“It was the seventh inning,” he said. “(We allowed) too many free bases. The bullpen has got to do a better job of throwing strikes.”
Ohio’s bullpen continued to struggle in the eighth and permitted the winning run, with Gerry Salisbury and Logan Cozart combining to allow one hit, two walks and one hit batter.
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