After losing an early five-run lead, Ohio pushed across a late run to beat Youngstown State 6-5 at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio on Tuesday night.
In a 5-5 game, Bobcat right fielder Tony Giannini led off the top of the eighth inning with a four-pitch walk. Then he stole second and advanced to third on a fielding error, which allowed shortstop Tyler Finkler to bring him in on a squeeze play.
Ohio closer Jake Roehn walked the Penguins’ leadoff on four pitches in the ninth, before retiring three straight — including a pair of strikeouts — to earn his seventh save in 15 appearances this season. Roehn had seven saves in 23 appearances last year.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid for Ohio (16-15, 3-3 Mid-American Conference), after the team was swept at home against Central Michigan on the weekend.
The Bobcats jumped on Youngstown State early and took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning.
Spencer Ibarra hit a two-run double in the second to score Giannini and Connor Callery. Ohio added three more in the third, including an RBI single by Callery.
Youngstown State responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, then tied the game in the fourth with a three-run home run off Ohio reliever Kenny Ogg.
Tom Colletti pitched a clean sixth and seventh to earn the win.
The Bobcats’ 5-6-7 hitters (Rudy Rott, Callery and Giannini) supplied six of the team’s 10 hits, with two apiece, and scored four of the runs.
Impressively, the Bobcats held Youngstown State slugger Andrew Kendrick to an 0-for-2 outing with two walks. Kendrick entered the game tied for fourth in the nation with 13 home runs and fifth in slugging percentage (.810).
Up Next
Ohio will play at Marshall on Wednesday at 3 p.m. to make up a game initially scheduled for March 14.
The Bobcats have not played back-to-back midweek games all season. They used five pitchers Tuesday, but Jake Rudnicki, Logan Jacik and Matt Mikolajczak, who have all pitched in midweek games this season, should be available.
Marshall (16-15, 6-6 Conference USA) will also be playing its second midweek game in as many days after a 4-3 walk-off win against Morehead State on Tuesday. Ohio lost to Morehead State 3-1 in Athens three weeks ago.
The Thundering Herd have won three games in a row. Ohio won last year’s matchup, 4-1.
