The Bobcats can advance to NCAA tournament with a win Sunday after Connor Sitz pitched a perfect game Saturday.
Connor Sitz stared down Cody Gaertner’s catcher’s mitt with two outs in the ninth inning against Bowling Green. The count on the batter was two balls and two strikes.
His next pitch was more than big. It was historic.
Sitz’s strike three pitch not only earned him a no-hitter, it also gave Ohio a 6-0 win Saturday morning in the Mid-American Conference semifinal and a berth in Sunday’s conference title game.
The no-hitter was Ohio’s (35-19, 17-10 MAC) first since 1996 — also its first ever against a Division I opponent — and the first in MAC tournament history. This is also the first time since 1997 the Bobcats have advanced to the MAC Tournament finale.
Sitz’s dominant day included five walks and four strikeouts. No Falcon runner advanced past second base.
"It's surreal. I'm still shaking a little bit,” Sitz said after the game “I think I'll stop when we get on the bus or in the locker room, but I definitely didn't wake up this morning and expect to see that. I'm just glad we got the win. That's the goal."
Offensively, the Bobcats were able to chase Bowling Green (25-29, 14-13 MAC) starter Trevor Blaylock after 2 1/3 innings by smacking seven hits and getting three earned runs. Gaertner and sophomore outfielder Mitch Longo led the way with three hits each.
Junior outfielder Manny DeJesus got Ohio on the board first with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. The Bobcats scored their third run off Blaylock in the bottom of the third, when senior outfielder Tyler Wells ripped a double to right center field to score senior first baseman Jake Madsen.
After adding two more runs in the fourth inning, Longo, the MAC Player of the Year, belted a solo shot to right field to stretch the lead to 6-0.
"It was good for us to get on the board early. I think you come into these games and when you get momentum quickly, it gives a good vibe in the dugout,” coach Rob Smith said. “The more momentum you continue to get, the more believable it became that we could win that game, and then, obviously, as the game continued with what Connor was doing, I think our confidence grew."
Every Ohio batter reached base safely at least once to contribute to the offensive effort, but Sitz’s work on the mound required little support. He improved his record to 7-2 on the year, tying him with senior reliever and MAC Pitcher of the Year Logan Cozart for the most wins this season for Ohio.
Sitz’s perfection would’ve been tough to predict. He entered Saturday morning’s start with a 5.29 ERA and an opponent batting average of .301.
The Bobcats will play Sunday at noon for the MAC championship at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio, and a spot in the NCAA baseball tournament. They await the winner of No. 5-seed Ball State and No. 8-seed Akron. Ohio swept Akron in a three-game series at home in late April.
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