Ohio picked up its first midweek win of the season against Shawnee State on Tuesday night. Mitchel Hemmen picked up his first win of the year in relief for the Bobcats with a final score of 7-2.
Braxton Kelly got the start for the Bobcats, an unusual role for the righty who is typically the team's go-to closing pitcher.
Kelly only pitched one inning where he could keep the Shawnee State batters quiet through the first, which gave the offense time to take the lead.
The Bobcat offense got off to a hot start in the first with two runs by means of a Cole Williams single that scored both Mason Minzey and A.J. Rausch.
After Kelly exited, Hemmen took the mound. Hemmen followed with four innings of well-pitched baseball where the righty's only tough spot was a two-run home run that was surrendered in the second to designated hitter Noah Rezner.
From then on, the Bobcat pitching did not surrender a run.
"I thought (Hemmen) settled in and did fine. Tyler Peck was really sharp tonight, which was good to see and then Hudson (Boncal) there at the end was sharp too," Ohio coach Craig Moore said. "It's good to see those guys but we'd like to have a couple more guys step up down there in the bullpen."
The Ohio offense came alive in the fifth. Rausch started off the inning with a single to right and proceeded to steal both second and third before advancing home on a wild pitch that gave the Bobcats a one-run lead.
Shawnee State pitchers Garrett Goodwin and Dylan Bernard each walked one batter before Colin Kasperbauer came up to the plate to deliver a two-run double down the first base line that extended the lead for Ohio to three.
Williams tallied his third RBI of the game during the fifth with a double off of the centerfield wall that was feet away from a three-run home run.
"Certain situations call for different things that I may have to do up there but I'm comfortable hitting up (in the four hole)," Williams said. "I just like hitting with guys on base."
Ohio had no trouble running the bases during Tuesday's game. The offense generated runs with a combined total of nine stolen bases, including three from Rausch.
Peck and Boncal finished the game with four innings of shutout baseball that propelled the team to a 7-2 victory.
Ohio will now prepare for a road trip to Kent State, which is currently part of a four-way tie with Ohio, Ball State and Central Michigan for first place in the Mid-American Conference.
"Everybody's always checking the standings and talking about it and everything which is always really good to see," Hemmen said. "It's gonna be a really exciting next couple of weeks and we're all pumped for it."
