The sun was strong, but the Bobcat hitters were stronger in their 6-3 win against Eastern Michigan (8-14, 4-9 Mid-American Conference) Friday night.
Joe Rock began his usual Friday start in a slow fashion. He allowed a season-high eight hits to the Eagles and tied his season-high walks with three. The walks proved to haunt as one put Ohio (12-11, 6-7 MAC) down 1-0 in the top of the third after Rock walked Jared Kauffman with the bases loaded.
However, help would come in the bottom of the third during Alex Finney’s turn at the plate. Finney had not played in a game since March 7, but he stepped up to the plate and swung like he had not missed a game in years. His single to left scored Colin Kasperbauer and tied the game, but not for long.
Eastern jumped on Rock again in the top of the fourth. An error from Kasperbauer allowed a runner to reach safely and advance to second in one play. Immediately after, Nate Jones knocked a RBI single to left to score the runner, putting the Eagles up 2-1. However, the Eagles were not done yet.
Rock hit Taylor Hopkins to put a runner on for Eastern and Hopkins took it upon himself to steal second and third on the next two pitches. His efforts put him in the perfect position for an Eli Gora RBI single to left, lifting the Eagles up 3-1 over the Bobcats.
Ohio was not ready to call it quits just yet.
Mason Minzey broke through for the Bobcats in the bottom of the sixth with a two-RBI double that tied the game at 3-3. Kasperbauer continued Minzey’s rally with an RBI groundout in the next at bat. Ohio now had the lead 4-3 and it was time for relief man Edward Kutt IV to take over on the mound.
Kutt faced seven batters and struck out four of them. He threw 27 pitches, and 21 of them were for strikes. Kutt did not allow a single walk in his appearance tonight and for the fourth time this season.
“I could locate my fastball pretty well, I was living outside,” Kutt said.
His hold on the Eagles allowed the Ohio hitters to continue their attack in the bottom of the seventh without fear.
Michael Richardson stepped up to the plate with Isaiah Peterson already on base for the Bobcats. His bunt would allow him to reach safely through a fielder’s choice after the throw to get Peterson at third sailed into the outfield. Peterson was able to travel home and bump the Bobcats up to 5-3. Richardson would soon follow after scoring on a wild pitch in Spencer Harbert’s at-bat.
Ohio was able to walk away with the win despite playing a sloppy defensive game because it got runs across the plate. The four errors were erased by the seven hits collected on the night, but the Bobcats know that they will need to be alert heading into Saturday’s double header starting at 11 a.m.
“The plan is to get them out here early, get them up, get them awake, move them around a little bit so that they’re ready to go,” interim head coach Craig Moore said. “I thought that was one thing we were lacking today. I didn’t think we were ready to play.”
The Bobcats are hoping to outrun the rain Saturday by pushing up their double header against the Eagles to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium.
