It didn't take long for Ohio to make Tuesday's game against Morehead State appear like a blowout. The Bobcats tallied four home runs and seven runs in the first three innings, including an inside-the-park home run, that gave Ohio a 7-2 lead in the third inning.
Yet the Bobcats still found themselves playing in their second extra-innings game of the season and fell to the Eagles, 9-8, in the 10th inning at Allen Field in Morehead, Kentucky.
The loss was Ohio's fifth in its last seven games.
Right-hander Jake Roehn, attempting his sixth save of the season, coughed up Morehead State's winning two-run single after Ohio managed to take a one-run lead to begin extra-innings. The crushing defeat, runs and blown save were all Roehn's first of 2018.
Each of the Bobcats' three pitchers before Roehn's entrance combined to allow four runs, all earned, on five hits and two walks to pump life back into the Eagles.
Ohio's pitching failed to pick up on its strong performance at the plate. Eight of the Bobcats' nine batters tallied at least one hit on Tuesday, and six separate players drove in at least one run.
Freshman Aaron Levy registered two home runs and a career-high three RBIs from Ohio's leadoff position. The second baseman started the game with his second home run of the season and hit his third just an inning later.
Junior first basemen Rudy Rott also collected his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the first inning.
Morehead State (15-11) second baseman Braxton Morris also extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a 2-for-4 performance on Tuesday. The senior is 15th in the nation with a .433 batting average.
Ohio (12-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) will look for better fortunes this weekend in its first home series of the year against MAC opponent Northern Illinois (7-16, 1-2 MAC). The Bobcats will play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m., 3 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
