In the biggest stage Ohio will likely see this season, the Bobcats' pitching staff faced a tall task on the road in taking down Big Ten Conference opponent and in-state rival Ohio State.
Ohio's group of arms, which boasted a stellar 3.64 ERA coming into Tuesday night's game, has been the core of the team's success early this season.
But on an elevated stage and the added intrigue of playing the school that dominates the college sports headlines in the state, the Bobcats' group of pitchers faced some added pressure in front of 1,625 fans in Bill Davis Stadium under the lights.
Tuesday night didn't have some of the characteristics from previous impressive pitching performances, as seven Bobcat pitchers combined to allow six hits, six walks and two hit batsmen while notching six strikeouts in a 3-0 loss to the Buckeyes.
"Honestly, we were sloppy tonight," coach Rob Smith said of his team's pitching performance.
He pointed out the total walk and hit-by-pitch numbers as the prime reason for Ohio's defeat.
"That's not characteristic of our pitching staff," he said. "We got sloppy tonight unfortunately, and it led to the game-deciding runs."
Tuesday's game wasn't the best pitching night for the Bobcats, but for the most part, Ohio's staff of arms remained composed under adversity and kept the team in the game, a theme that has been a constant bright spot for the Bobcats this season, as the team has already accumulated three shutouts and given up five or more runs just seven times all season.
Ohio's pitching staff is used to performing with some pressure. With the offensive struggles this year, the late-inning relievers have been frequently put in close situations this season.
On Tuesday, senior Jake Roehn found himself in a jam after allowing a walk and a single with two outs. The Buckeyes had a pair of men in scoring position, but Roehn was able to get the final out on a flyout, preventing the game from getting too far out of reach for Ohio.
Senior Tyler Finkler admired the consistent pitching that gives the team a chance to win, but admitted it was frustrating how frequent the offense has struggled to follow up on its side of the deal.
"We talk about it," Finkler said. "It feels good that they're pitching well, we just tell them to hang in there with us. Our bats will come soon and we'll start putting together runs and putting together wins."
